The Washington herald., 1922-02-18
Bar Association an
Aid to World Peace

An accepted standard of interna-
tional justice throughout the world,
disarmament eventually following
the ten years naval holiday. and
the substitution of international po-
lice for national ornaments, is the
vision of peace held by DR.. Rokui-
chiro Masujima, a member of the
Japanese bar. now in the United
States.
DR.. Masujima believes that his
ideal can be realized by the Coop
Grafton of bar associations through
out the world in the comparatively
young international bar association,
of which he formerly was president
In extending an invitation to the
American Bar Association at a re-
cent meeting in New York, he said
that the bar sis the real power and
authority to dictate and administer
Justice at the permanent interna-
tional court TO be organized under
the league of nations. and for that
purpose the bar of the world should
resolve to have its voice heard ana
its influence felt in establishing and
maintaining justice among nations.
THE truth is that the so-called
principles of international law were
not real proportions derived from
the practice of human experience
and reason: but they were no more
than mere postulates invented by
civilians. The doctrines apparent
ly took root in the soil of European
minds as n mere accretion, and
never became a legal system by act
ual development. The time hap
pened to be favorable for its adop-
ton by the European mind only
through accident because the con-
tinent had just emerged from the
darkness of ages, and some new
guidance was welcome, regardless
Of It's merit. No wonder that the
German government considered a
treaty a mere scrap OF paper. King
Frederick said in his guiding in
structions to the Academy of Noble
men in Prussia: The teacher shall
warn the young that international
law is lacking in coercive power to
enforce its tenets; it is an idle phan-
tom in their DEGREES and manifestos
even while II is being violated by
them
None of what we properly cali
law lacks q form Of punishment.
Every law is truth: its infringement
brings down some visitation upon
the offender. The law of nature or
that Of man always implies some
sanction. visible or invisible. The
legal sanction always shows itself
some time In some form. 1t is not
a mere phantom. but one of actual
fact. as all acts or events are; what
In mentally observable being a fact
also. The great war came because
the world neglected to pay reverence
to the authority of international
law which its sanctity demanded.
The military and economic forces of
the allies imposed in due time the
sanction of violated law.
"The continentals seem so unin-
itiated in the real knowledge of law
that they discern nothing but what
they can see with their eyes. So
they dismissed the law OF nations
as an enforceable system of idle
phantoms. German Jurisprudence
misIed the Germans into viewing
might as the only right. az taught
by Roman imperiaiists. and so the
Germans held contempt for their oh.
lt~ations under international law.
whose sole foundation is good faith
amorg nations. However. all civ'f
'zed societies shared tn G fate Of
fs"i- foes for not hrving pursrcA
the true scientific culture OF inter
-ationai law"