The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-02-23
NATIONS BAND
IS NECESSARY
SAYSPROFESSOR

(By Prof. Irving Fisher. Of Yale Uni
versity)
New Haven. Conn. Feb. 22.-The 81
IRENE object or the war was 70 re-
lace var with Law. There will always
lie danger Of international lawbrea KIN :
until there is a league Of natfons cap
able of enforcing the law civil law
also would be hollow mockerv We're
il devoid Of machinery for enforcing II
other than that each individual must
defend himself.
II we want to ged rid Of kaiserism
rar good We must destroy the conditions
which can still make world wars pos
sIble or aIluring!
modern wars spring are two: 0l INC
rapid growth Of international inter.
course and ~ the slow growth or in
ternational control over that intercourse.
Intercourse without control means an
archy.
As to intercourse. the chance. Of var
IL enorrn ously multiplied thereby. We
do not have war with the planet OF
Mars. for We have no Intercourse Of
anv sort with It.
have war between New York and Brook
lyn, or between Illinois and Missouri
not certainly for lack Of contact. but
because there exists adequate govern
mental machinery for regulating this
contact. There are plenty Of disputes
Cand there is abundant pugnacity), but
I'll the fighting IS done in court or
through other legal process
The growth OF transportation and
communication. In the absence OF an
equal growth OF regulation, leads to
uD BY making OF international
trade a great apple Of discord,
hone of contention. n prize for which
the nations eagerly and selfishly
strive.
t2) BY increasing the chances OF
fiction over international Incl
dents growing out or the contact
Of commerce or travel or communi
cation. The Maine" Is blown up
Our flag is insulted in Mexico An
archduke. travelling abroad, is
sassnated Possible discord may
also spring from tariffs. especially
i they discriminate between
tions: or from canal and other trade
rights sea fisheries and coloniza-
ton or Immigration, as from the
Orient.
90 Bv increasing the speed or
army mobilization. thus bringing ma
lions within shorter military dis
tance of each other When it IS
possible to go from Berlin to Paris
in only few hours, ii becomes far
more necessary than it was a hun
bred years ago to defend Paris
against Berlin.
Commerce As Cause Of Present War
international commerce was an i'm
nortant cause Of the present war. in all
three ways just stated Berlin to Bag
dad" the prevention OF Russia from
acquiring a commercial outlet: and the
desire to grab Belgium for commercial
SCI connections inspired the Germans
The Balkans were coveted by Russia as
the gateway for commerce to reach the
sea. France desired 20 regain Alsace
and Lorraine. not simply for sentiment
sake but for their coal and iron. japan
and Germany had opposing commercial
interests IN China: almost all the war
ring nations had completing interests In
Nfrica Commercial and colonial ex-
pansion," the freedom Of the seas
and our place in the sun represent
these economic interests-real or imag-
mary.
In striving for these pr,zes +ba no+,o,s
caused incidental friction both before
and after the war began Nation after
nation was drawn in because Of interna-
tional Incidents growing ont of com.
rEerctal contact. The Lusitania case
the Sussex case. the declared war zones.
ana al other matters which we had
Irciion WITH Germany or the other pow
CTS would obviously not have occurred
had there been no great International
commerce traversing the high seas
competition In Armaments Another
Cause.
FINALLY. none will DENY. the short
tning or International distances led
Germany and therefore France. and all
the rest, to set up larger and larger
military and naval establishments
Thus competition in ornaments came
and each nation had to keep IN tho
race. As long have no voice in
reducing armament and navi"s abroad, |
military competition is closely nnalo- |
Eous TO cut-throat competition in usi |
ness. There is only one way OF avoid |
ing such cut-throat competition. whether
mission to a common regulation.
The greatest qestton of the hour is:
Shall combine with others in n league
of nations. or shall we continue to rely |
We must either compete with the rest |
or combine with the rest
II the nations Of the world should |
row enter the race with armies and