Evening star., 1923-07-31
If Somebody Is to Win Then Why
Not Tom Marshall2

With the conditions under which
the 500 600 peace award prize offered
by Edward w. Box may be won at
last fully revealed. and the contest
now we'll under way, many editors
are scrutinizing somewhat closely the
suggestion fathered by Thomas Riley
Marshall once Vice President of the
United States. Marshall would have
an international agreement entered
into by all world powers whereby no
nation could declare war until such
action had been indorsed through
referendum vote OF all man ana
woman nationals above the age OF
eighteen years Should the verdict be
for hostilities then action would nave
to be diverted until sixty days nao
elapsed.
was offered ION the spur of the mo-
ment" and probably was not Intended
seriously. tt includes, in the delaS
feature one of the principles or the
Bryan peace treaties drafted Wnen
the Commoner was Secretary OF state
and now a part of the international
policy of the United States; while the
referendum suggestion likewise was
fathered by Col. William Jennings
Bryan and written by him as plank
in a democratic platform.
But, in the language OF the street
that makes no never mind" so far
as most editors are concerned. 1t
was a good suggestion, the ma
jority consider and, as the Oakland
Tribune points out. would serve the
ends of peace by forcing delay be-
fore the declaration of war. 1t de-
mands an international agreement
which would have to be backed by
the power of a league of nations or
similar organization and so really
includes more than appears in the
win the prize. 1t is more than likely
he will not. but his plan will have
aided in developing discussion
which cannot fail to advance appre-
ciably the peace idea. And that is
what the Box award is for" 1t is
entirely possible, the Louisville
Courier-Journal holds, that when he
proposes that those who do the night
ing and pay the bills should deter
mine whether war is to be declared
little joke" while the Worcester
Gazette wonders whether he had
better fight for peace or for that good
nickel cigar" The Gazette, however,
insists that Marshall's uttered senti-
ments show that he realizes the
at the same time he Is wondering
whether "the crusaders for peace are
on the right track. 1t is impossible
to say they can do no harm for they
might, by excess of zeal, themselves
cause complications of diplomatic
delicacy with threat of war. But GER
tain it is that the desire for peace
with honor is so strong in so many
minds the world over that 1t must
constitute a force in restraint of the
impulse to resort to arms"
The Albany Knickerbocker-Press
recalls that Mr.. Marshall personally
admits "he is not convinced that the
world is ready for peace" and holds
that 1.-The practicability- of the Mar
shall plan will be Immediately chal-
lenged. 1t would not be wise or pru-
dent, even If it were possible, to
suspend military operations until a
referendum could be taken and the
votes counted. 1t might be asked
what would have happened IL a ref
erendum had been taken in the
United States after the Lusitania was
sunk. 1t is undoubtedly true, how
ever desirable peace may be, that
there are certain issues over which
nations still will go to war. These
issues will exist for some years to
cine. 1t is futile to attempt imme-
diately>to remove these issues and 1t
goes without saying that until these
issues are entirely removed there ~