Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-09-06

ing @ar-Strungiy Urges Ssttinu
: Up Of international Court as Mos
eied by Hague Convention. for
Settlement of Disputes Est.~sen
States
Boston. Mass, Sept 5-Secretary
Lansing. before the American Ear
Association here today in his first
public speech since returning fr1m
the Peace Conference gave a warning
that the theory of inter-nationaiisrn
Oh AundAnIsm.' which received
great impetus during the war. con-
srlruted A grave danger To world
order, hut expressed his CONVICTION
that democratic nationaIiEm as
sanctioned by the Peace Conference
would survive as the basis OF society.
Secretary Lansing ur-c1 srr,,ngly
the establishment Of an International
court as modelled by the Hague Con-
Ventlon, and founded in ths princlpie
Of strict legal justice. for the settle
ment of disputes between states. and
the Qualification of international law
into an exact system. He paid trib-
UTE 10 the Hague Convention of 1907.
whose work. although imperfect and
hampered by the evil uuruoses
which the powers Of Central Europe
had SO long secretly cherished" he
said. still stands as an instrument
Tor the maintenance Of the law of
nations.
Without an international court and
codlfled laws Secretary Lansing pre-
dicfed return 10 diplomatic anarchy.
since nations today are Influenced
more by selfishness than by an al
tTuIstlc sentiment of Justice" He
gave warming that I'VE should NOT
Deceive ourselves by assuming thai
the policies of other governments are
founded on unselfishness or on con-
the consequences be contrary to their
immediate interests"
Let us then with as little delay as
possible" said ne Establish an in
ter.national tribunal or tribunals of
justice with the Hague Court as a
founda ton: let us provide an easier.
cheaper ana better procedure
than now exists. and let us draft
simple and concise body of legal urin-
10 be alphabetically
Speaking of the plans Of the Peace
Conference TO place Jon trial IN a juSii-
cial court the former German EN-
perur, Mir. Lansing recalled that il
WIS the commissioners of the United
States who stood opposed tn such
trial. although "it WIS recognized
that he had committed great moral
crime. an objectionable offense
against humanity"
The stand of the American Com
miEsipners. he said. WIS based on
the conviction that there was no pro-
VISION Of written or unwritten law for
the definition and punishment of
crimes against humanity.
''Ths decision was reached" he
said, with reluctance because of the
er was guilty, although his guilt WIS
not Of nature which could be de-
clarsd and punished by a judicial tr-i-
bunal-if was by no means an easy
task 70 deal with the question of
expressing properly mankind's con-
domination of the individual whose
inordinate greed and vanity were
chiefly responsible for the dreadful
misery and waste which the world
has endured-vet we believe that an
underwriting respect for law Is essen
tial 10 the prosperity and happiness
of society. and that the rigid main
tenance of law, however distasteful II
may be, is an imperative duty
In conclusion Mr.. Lansing reifer-
a1ed that 'snHtionaiism must be main
tanned at all hazards and that iii In
equally imperative TINT within the
nation individualism must mot be
snppiRnfsd by ciazsism..
True peare burwean unfinus ssuuld
c01me- In nniE, oniy wnzn TIN uunauct
Of nations f0Wnrd one nnuth1r Nms3
governed by 5ust lMwas sns1d wi1en tncy
submitted t1leir controversies 10 an
impartial Judiciary which would de-
eide them n-rDrtitng 10 rsis immuta-
Bile principles ri Justice.