The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-03-16
League of Nations Covenant Explained
and Defended By Attorney 2. {. West

y
trious Chancellor k'u' uf %rw YORK
one of the furomu7t American it"
}crA might almost Hiy ih' ib'h"r
u NV writing loo America. nearly 70
century aEO declared loo almost h'7
opening passages ~ hIn rrww'UlnI
los on American Law, the following
we ought not. therefore Ip
separate the science of public law
from thar Uf ethics. nor ruruuI
nRc The dangerous Hugg'Huou 'h1'
governments are nor Hp s'r,rNF
bound hv the obligations ~ truth.
Justice aud humanity 700 relation
p to other powers A. they hf" in IA"
management ~ their own local
concerns states ur bodies polite.
ARE tu hc cDunldcfrd nH moral per.
sOus. having pubic viii rhplhle
ana fT"r to do right and wrong
lnlsnu,h as they are collections
of indlVliutlg each ~ whom car
ricH with HIM into tho scryir" "f
the community the same binding
law of morality ana religion which
ought iu control h.s conduct In
private HE The law ~ nNions iH
u complex Nypten, composed pf
various ingredients II cOnsistH ~
NfHfl Ai ~ ill' AFA'N ~ ~ So. '''.'
Justice. equally suitable 10 the t"N-
eminent ~ individuals In a state
nf natural equality aud ln 'hr rc
latiOns and conduct NJ ntiloua ~
u collection ~ uslR"s. customs ana
opinions. the growth Of oVll'zh
ton and commerce. ana uf
code of conventional or po1ttN"
law In tho absence uf these latter
regulations. tho intercourse ana
conduct uf nations ar" to De gov
crncd by principles fairly 10 b" h"
duccd from the rights ana duties
of nations. and the nature ~ moral
obligation. hud We have IN" hu-
thnrity OF the lawyers Of antiquity,
and nf some OF tho firBt masters ~
tho modern school OF public law,
for placing the moral obligation of
nations and OF individuals ON slim
ilnr grounds. and for considering
Individual and national morality
m parts OF one and the Same act
ence.
Trend of Sentiment
Among the most striking evidences
~ the trend and direction of Hruil-
ment during the last hundred years
II The increa-ing frequency wllh
which tho practice Of submitting In
tcrnationhi disputes to arbitration IN
stead OF force has been fcsortod to
Itetwcen 1890 and isi0, there were
rs international Rrhitratlons In tho
next 20 years there were 80 and In
the succeeding 90 years. ~ whilst ia
the period from 1850 To 1909 there
were no less than 90 Among the
more important ones might he mon.
toned the Alabama claims IN 1872,
the settlement Of tho British GuiHnu
boundary In 1899. the decision ~ the
Delagoa troubles In 1909 and the
ad juatment Of our Newfoundland
fisheries dispute in 1904
Twenty years ago. another i'm
portant step was taken which II not
only. In my judgment. an evidence
OF tendencies. but has played n con
siderable part In the actual growth
Of the sentiment Tor peace In 1881
James g. Blaine, then secretary of
state. possibly tho foremost man at
tho time IN the republican party, cor
tainly most distinguished Amcrl-
can, and n statesman ~ undoubtcd
ability and foresight. addressed an
Instruction TO the United states min
listers In central and South America
to invite conference for tho pur-
pose Of discussing methods for the
IfFNfIlNiVfi VI NNi ''ANF'il 'a'N ANfa
tlons OF tho Western hemisphere
After various delays. there came out
OF this suggcstion and invitation, the
pan-American union, which has
played so important part In sup
pressing the intcrminahle petty dis
putcs and the perennial existence OF
war among tho Latin American ro-
publlcs OF South America Under
Its benign influence Argentina and
Chile, In 1909, concluded the first
disar rmament treaty over entered into
between two sovereign states. by
which the high contracting parties
agreed TO u proportionate regulation
OF their sea power, 10 the end that
each might relieve Itself " tho bur.
dcns of an excessive armament and
maintain only such force as WAS nc.
tunlly deemed adequate and neCes-
pnry FOR protective purposes
First Attempt 10 stop War.
The year 1899 marks the first dis
htlnct and concrete attempt To secure
world wide international concert IN
Hppreaslng war and tp bind the great
powers touEether IN an understand
ing to keep the peace To Nicolas
II OF Russia belongs the honor OF
having been the first to take aCtuHl
steps toward bringing the powers io.
gcther far the purpose of reaching
such understanding The result Of
his invitation to the various world
powers was tho first Hague cOnvcu
ton or that year, with 90 states rep
resented, and the second convention
In 1907, at which ~ states wore rep
resented Az striking evidence
that at least 20 years ago thoughtful
men everywhere were earnestly de.
Elroug OF fundamental change IN
lntcrna tlonal attitude think il is
worth youE time ana m.ur tn quote
u portion Of the note which Count
MourHvlcv, the minister of Nicolas.
Addressed to the powers In submit
ting the cAll for the couyrntion,
polutlng out the oppressive hurdSn
under which civilized nations were
laborlnR I'm the maintenance " huge
standing armies and the constant
danger from tho existence OF such
uucalled-for and abnormal arma-
ments lie said In part:
y, g
Tho ever increasing financial
burdens strike nt tho root OF pub
lie prosperitN The physical and
intellectual forces of tho people.
labor and capital. are diverted for
the greater part from their natural
application ana wasted unprohuc-
lively Hundreds ur millions are
spent N ayQuirinp terrible engines
~ destruction. which are regarded
today AS the latest Inventions "
science hut are destined tomorrow