Evening star., 1923-05-16
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

civili.ation is On trial in Washing
ton this week. beginning today. CIV
ilization is q. condition Of commune
ties characterized by political and
social organization and order. ad-
i'vancement in knowledge. refinement
and the arts. and progress in general.
F. ~. ~ : D.
+. Has civilization made good in re-
l.cent years and in. all lands? The.
world war was fought to preserve
fciviitxation. Has it been preserved.
or is 1t retrograding? How far, have
we gone in advancing human order
ana social organization?
There are 5000 social students in
Washington now, many OF. whom have
come from foreign countries-from
Europe. South America and Canada
for the purpose Of checking up on
the problems of civilization. 1t is
one of the most notable gatherings
that have come to washington in.
years. and its activities Will be re-
f1ected over the wide world. in the
bettSrment Of conditions and ideals
Eof mhny nations. H..
Amongst the topics to be studied
are public health. the "big brother
and sister movement, for helping
the weaker members of society. In
I;dustrial conditions, law and .oEder,
schools and church influence. and the
homo.
ing at Polls Theater, after which it
ences. 20 that those who are spe-
cially interested In one or more
topics may attend to their study with
out loss of time on other features.
Some of the most eminent sociolo-
gists. Of the world will take part in
the various group programs, and will
also address the general. lettings.
Surely this is form Of "interna-
tionalism" to which no one can find
objection. 1t makes for the better
ment Of living conditions through
out the world without touching upon
political questions or national jeal-
ousiea
Senator Sterling of South Dakota
declares that the United States should
assert its right Of visit and search
| OF vessels upon the high seas q dis
ftance Of twelve miles from shore In
| stead Of only the present limit or
three miles. This, he says, would not
conflict with the principle on which
the three-mile limit was originally
based-the range Of shore guns. To-
day coast guard cannon have a range
Of thirty to thirty-five miles, and, on
the familiar theory advanced by Sem
ator Sterling, there appears no spe-
| cial reason for putting the limit at
ftwelve miles.
that any country. like any Individual
| has the right Of self-defense. What
ever measures are necessary to pro-
| tect man from q lhighwayman's as
| sault are justifiable. If pirates can
hover ten miles from shore and defy
the laws Of the land, after the. gov
| ernment has taken all reasonable
! measures Of self-protection for that
distance, who will stop the govern
| ment from declaring that its SOW
ereignty Is menaced by pirates or en-
measures-whatever the exigencies
/ require to effect self-defense? 1t
| is not a question of miles; 1t is a test
| of effectiveness.
| The so-called "three-mile limit"
| often extends out twenty or thirty
| miles from shore, for it's dernarcation
| does not follow the meanderings of
| every little inlet Of the coast. 1t
| runs in straight lines drawn from
point TO point of main. projections,
| often fifty miles apart. While three
| miles are-accepted bycali: nations as
the general limit of their jurisdiction
along their coasts, there is nothing
esacred IN that limits and If a power.
fui nation like the United States were
to announce that in order to perfect
self defense. 1t would assume juris-
diction as far as its coast guns would
4 n n q 20
| that assertion in question. Nothing
| happened when we announced the
| Monroe doctrine, except that. other
| nations recognized it, and kept away
| from interference. This is A case
where might makes right, and some
| statesmen declare that America has
both the might and the right to en-
\ force her self-defense.
X x
| The British parliament has been
! amused recently by the introduction