Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-19
Monday, February 10, 1928.
THE eoRAH RESOLUTION


ate a resolution declaring that war
shall be outlawed and proposing an
international court. The preambles
to this resolution include the de-
claration that war IS the greatest
menace to society and threatens to
destroy civilization-and to this
there will be little dissent-also that
all alliances or leagues (which rely
upon force as the ultimate power
for the enforcement of peace carry
the seeds either of their own de-
struction or of military dominancy
to the utter subversion of liberty
and justice" etc.
70 this we may expect dissent on
the part of devotees Of the League
of Nations. The League might plo-
test that force isn't seed of its own
debility. 1t might call attention to
the treaty recently made betW cen
Hungary and soviet Russia, made
secretly it is said. to maintain mill
IuIN dllIduGc dSsiiilSI SbS A-isNiN
Entente and Rumania. notwithstand-
ing article IS of The League declares
that "evcry treaty or international
engagement entered into hereafter by
any member of the League shall
forthwith be registered with the
secretariat." 1t also might add that
not having the power to enforce the
agreement it is helpless to interfere,
notwithstanding Hungary was admit
ted to the League only last yeal.
These preambles of Senator Bolah
declare that war 10 be prevented
must be declared unlawful. That
may be so, but VIC recall no outlaws
declared since the days of Adam
When there wasn't supposed 20 be
some power to restrain them Eorah
would have this done by force of
public opipnion. We, recently, have
lad a demonstration Of the inability
of public opinion to make any i'm
preston on the SHINES cad Thyaacns
who are running Germany.
The preamble further declares:
I'VE have in our federal supreme
court a practical and effective model
for a real international court, as it
has specific jurisdiction to hear and
decide controversies between our
sovereign states, and
Our Supreme Court has exercised
the jurisdiction. without resort to
force for one hundred and Thirty
five years. during which time scores
OF controversies nave been judicilllN
and pcaccably settled that might
otherwise have led to war bot" cen
the states. and thus furnishes a
practical cXempiar tor the compul-
sorry and pacific settlement of inter-
national controversies.
The fallacy of this must be APP
parent to every thinking person, in
is ground for suspocting that it was
intended to be misleading. There
has never been minute of that one
hundred and thirty five years when
there hasn't been back of the dccis-
ions of our courts the power of a
citizenry subject to call, a police, and
an army and navy.
1t is true there is back of the
courts Il mighty force of public
opinion but there is ever present the
threat of physical force. Outlawing
war. branding it as a crime, ostra-
cising all people who plan and wage
it. would be a mighty force, but to be
effective with obduratc people there
must be back of it an impending
penalty for the lawbrcallcr. Already
we are complaining because we have
laws which are not observed as they
should he because swift apprehension
and punishment do not back them up
And this among a fairly homogenc :
GUS people within the confines of the
country. How greatly intensified
this lawlessncss would become where
the varying countries with all their
prcjudices and passions should at
tempt to maintain law and order by
the force solely of public opinion.