Evening star., 1922-02-26
BY THOMAS n. MARSHALL,
Former Vice President Of the
United States.

Former Vice President Of the
United States.
q UCcEED1NG generations have
continued to quote the COM
ment. HE never said a fool
tsh thing or did wise
one" about the English monarch
who reigned but did not in
troublous times rule. Each day
brings its incident of the right
thing being said and the wrong
thing being done. yet we are prone
to believe that wisdom of conduct
follows wisdom of expression.
1t is an interesting study
whether more good comes to the
world through ciinging to a prin-
clple under changed conditions
than comes to 1t by the too early
desertion of that principle. The
uncertainty in reaching correct
conclusion arises from the fact
that upon nearly every condition
of life there bear two OF more
great principles which abstract
edly may not be denied. One of
these principles ordinarily has to
do with the intellectual concept OF
man. The other Ia brought into
play through the passions Of his
primal instinct. And when they
run amuck nobody knows what
may happen.
International relations bear a
marked similarity to the rela-
tions which exist between indi-
viduals. Principles which govern
nations when under serene skies
seem to clash with principles which
govern in the storm of contro-
verey. A fair weather rule seems
applicable only when the weather
is fair. One of my observations as
a lawyer was that the most brutal
and seemingly unjustiied homi-
cides were committed by qiiet
men of mild demeanor.
I had hoped that the submarine
would be declared an international
outlaw by the Washington confer
ence and that by such declara-
ton it would become looked upon
by civilized mankind as the sting
ing Indian cobra. But I am not
inclined to be censorfous OF the
conference realize that con-
ferences must be compromising
and that all that Is bes. eanhoe mot
always be obtained. The men VINO
guide the destinies of the world ap-
parently did not hold my view OF
the submarine.
1t has long been recognized as
principle of warfare that merchant
vessels of neutral nations might
after warning be searched upon
the high seas for contraband OF
war. The right to sink them. at
least until passengers and crew
had been removed. was never con-
ceded, however. With the growth
of modern warfare. what consti-
tutes contraband of war has be-
come almost impossible to tell. 1t
no longer consists of arms and am
munition and supplies for hghting
men. 1t may include some articie
Of use in home life. but witnoot
which people could not wage
war. doubt whether an interna-
tional conference would be able to
get the nations Of the world to
agree on a schedule of the articles
which. all would say are contra-
band. 1t is quite apparent that the
things which England must import
to carry on a war would differ ma
terially from those which would be
required by France or Germany or
Italy.
While America was yet neutral
in the European war disputes as
to what constituted contrabnd OF
war arose and issue was drawn on
the question under what circum-
stances American vessels might be
towed into English ports and their
cargoes confiscated. The Imperial
German government. bringing for
ward the ancient doctrine that in
the midst Of war the laws are ST.
lent" threw itself behind the doc
trine Of self-preservation and made
itself Judge Of what was needful
to be done In order to preserve the
empire and to win the war: HUI
man life. was not permitted to
stand in the way of accomplish
ment. Ruthless and relentless, the