The New York herald., 1921-01-09
Reviewed by
STANTON A. cOBLENTZ.

lfN establishment ts Invaluable in n
consideration of a proposed federation
81 nations. such is the central thesis
of James Brown Scott's volume on the
early political history OF our country.
Beginning with the arrival of the Pill
Hrims. he traces the development of
the idea ~ union. always with a view
/ 90 q parallel on a vaster scale in in
ternationai relations The first ex-
ample he cites Is the Mayfiower COM
pact. which. he declares. ''set forth the
American conception OF the State as
the agent Of the people creating it,:
neat he mentions the proposals OF
william Penn and of Benjamin Frank
llh Cor a union OF the colonies: then
he describes the New England Con-
federation. OF which he says: Here
in this little federation OF four strag-
sling colonies there lies hidden the
germ 81 n greater Union. The
spirit which produced this greater
J'nion WAS already in evidence In the
New World For u In DR.. Scott's con-
tention that the propinQuity OF States
naturally eads 20 their combination.
a combination I'm which the component
parts are not necessarily suhservient
20 the whole and the examples he
cites are all In support of this prin-
ciple
Leaving the period OF Colonial de-
veiopment. Dr Scott discusses the
Declaration OF Independence. OF which
ne says some interesting things. That
document was not the spontaneous
growth that some are inclined 20 be-
ieve a. nor was n derived from the
social Contract OF Rousseau: not
only its ideas but its very language
came from English philosophers. from
Hooker % Locke; An fact. "every Inn
portant phase OF the preamble Ia 10
he found In one form or another in
iocke's swgndiscourrrs on civil gov-
ernment- Nhis however, declares the
author. docs not detract from the Inn
puriance of the document. because
Locke spoke as an individual. whereas
the Congress spoke ar a political
body And while the doctrines them
selves are but the old principles Of
English liberty. they were made mo-
mrntous b. the fact that for the first
time in the worlds history they were
officially proclaimed ny a national
government And IN the same way.
standards recognized within nations
to-day may become incomparably
more significant n applied internation-
ally.
Passing on from the Declaration of
Independence. the author discusses the
Articles Of Confederation. On respect
both 10 ita merits ard 60 its defects.
The difficulty of reconciling differ
ences between States inevitably made
the articles comprornise. Just AZ the
more perfect Constitution ~ 1871 was
compromise. nj that time. a. at
present In the League Of Nations. the
large States desired n monopoly ~
power. and then. "a now. the reply
was that "a little colony has its all
20 stake as wen ar a great one" Due
largely 20 the necessary concessions TO
the smaller states. and 10 the Jealous
regard OF All the colonies for their SOW
ereiEnty. the articles were weak from
a national point Of view; bat In their
international aspects. says Dr. scott
they offered an example ~ a union
Of sovereign. free ana independent
States much closer than that ~ the
Society of Nations. and In spite ~
their impcrfecticns. indeed hccaure of
their impcsfections they show, " 10
believed. how the society ~ nations
can bc organized "a = confederation
without involving the sacrifice of SOW
crcignty~
Having disposed OF the Articles N
Confederation. Dr. Scott considers en-
haustivcly the United states Constitu.
tion. its backgrounds. the difficulties
OF its organization and tho throc de-.
parimcnts Of the American Govern
ment as possible archeiypcs ~ the
main divisions of an international or.
ganization. There ~ snsmethimg par
ticularly interesting in his recital az
arguments by trainers Of the Consti-
tuition: Tor example. the atat~nnent ~
Gouverneur Morris. that the concession
OF equal votes 20 tho small States wna
unreasonable. because. armed with
equality. the smaller States would no.
enabled 90 negative every Rood eyN-
TEN of government How similnr is.
this 10 certain remarks ~ present -Aar
international politiciAnsi For. a. me
author observes. The opposition 10.
tween the large and the small apvears
20 be inherent In tho MATURE a thinHs
and 60 come 20 the surface dnrinE the
proceedings Of an international con
ference" And. this n ons ~ ths ar
ficultios that must be solved heforr'
any permanent international ainanc~
can he formed
Aside from the specific information
IL supplies. Dr. SCOTS volume ~ val.
uable for les careful and convincing
development % an Idea that must 10
apparent 10 any one who devote~ half
"A minutes thought 90 the subject. A
league of all the States of the world
is possible because n league of rome
OF the States has already been innuwu-
rated. and has been opcratina succesn-
fully for many years Tho same forces
as were called upon 10 create the
American Constitution may be invoked
o establish an international eonstitu-
tion, for the obstacles confronting tho
founders Of our Republic differed but
little in principle from those which
face the world to-day. when the
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