The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-05
LANSING
URGES PEACE COURT
For the Settlement Of Disputes Between
States-Also Codifcation Of
International Law.

Boston Sept 5 Secretary Lansing,
before the American Bar association here
to-day in his first public speech since re-
turning from the peace conference gave
a warning that the theory Of interna-
tionaIism, Of "MundaniSm, which re-
ceiyed great impetus during the war,
constituted grave danger to world or
der. but expressed his conviction that
democratic nationalism as sanctioned by
the peace conference would survive as
the basis OF society.
Secretary Lansing urged strongly the
establishment of an international court
as modelled BY The Hague convention,
and founded in the principle Of strict
legal Justice, for the settlement of dis
putes between states, an the codifica
ton OF international law into an exact
system. lie paid tribute to The Hague
convention Of 1907, whose work, al
though imperfect and hampered BY rthe
evil purposes which the powers OF cen.
trail Europe had 50 long secretly cher
ished, he said, still stands as an lnstru-
ment for the maintenance Of the law Of
nations
without an international court and
codified laws Secretary Lansing predicted
a return 10 diplomatic anarchy, since
nations to-day are influenced more by
selnshness than BY an altniistic sentl-
ment Of Justice lie gave warning that
I'VE should not deceive ourselves by as
suming that the policies Of other gov
ernments are founded on unselfishness or
on constant purpose to be Just even
though the consequences be contrary to
their immediate interests
Let us then with as little delay as
possible" said he, establish an inter
national tribunal or tribunals of justice
with The Hague court as foundation;
let us provide an easier, cheaper and a
better procedure than now exists; and
let us draft a simple and concise body
of legal principles to be applied to the
questions to be adjudicated.
Speaking Of the plans Of the peace con
ference TO place on trial in a judicial
court the former German emperor, MIR.
Lansing recalled that It was the com
missioners of the United States who
stood opposed to such trial, although 1T
was recognized that he had committed a
great moral crime, an objectionable OF
Tense against humanity
The stand of the American commits
sioners, he said, was based on the con-
viction that there was no provision Of
written or unwritten law for the defini-
ton and punishment Of crimes against
humanity.
THE decision was reached, he said,
with reluctance because of the firm con-
vietion that the German ruler was guilty,
although his guilt was not of a nature
which could be declared and punished by
judicial tribunal-it was by no means
an easy task to deal with the question
Of expressing properly mankind's con
demnation of The individual whose in
ordinate greed and vanity were chiefly
responsible for the dreadful misery and
waste which the world has endured-yet
we believed that an undertaking respect
for law is essential to the prosperity and
happiness of society, and that the rigid
maintenance of law, however distasteful
it may be, is an imperative duty"
In conclusion, Mr.. Lansing reiterated
that nationals must be maintained at
all hazards" and that 1T is equally inn
perative that within the nation individ-
uaism must not be supplanted by class
ism"
True peace between nations would
come, he said, only when the conduct
Of nations toward one another was gov
erned by Just laws, and when they sub
mitted their controversies to an impair.
tial Judiciary which would decide them
according to the immutable principles Of
justice.