The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1924-01-17
Against Mr.. Bok's Peace Award
Chicago Tribune)

/ Mr.. Edward Bok's amiable project
for bestowing 100000 on the inventor
of 1.-THE best practicable plan by
which the United States may coop
crate with other nations looking to-
ward the prevention of war has
been widely advertised Plans have
been submitted. The jury of award
has made its award. 1t is now propos-
ed to submit the winning plan to a
popular referendum. and the Tribune
is invited to assist by printing a form
of ballot for the use of its readers.
1t will not do so.
We are quite aware the refusal will
not only seem ungracious but be sub
ject to misconstructiOn. Any refusal
to fall in with a proposal that has an
idealistic motive and object is certain
of misconstruction by ardent pro-
ponents. There is no fallacy more
general than that refusal to swallow
an idealistic project is evidence of
want of sympathy with the object
sought. The most familiar specimen
of this logic is the assumption by viz
tually all pacifsts that those who do
not accept their theories and nos
trums are lovers of war.
But the prospect of misconstruction
ought not to prevent the performance
of duty, and in the case of the pro-
posed referendum we have no doubt
of the Tribune's duty. So far as the
competition itself is concerned, it is
conceivable that among the proposals
submitted by the better instructed
and more practical minded contestants
a useful suggestion may be found.
The jury of award is of distinguished
membership, having as its chairman
Mr.. Elihu Root, a statesman of ripe
experience and achievement in for
eign affairs. Gen. Harbord Dean
Roscoe Pound of the Harvard law
school. f. NJ. House and Mr.. Brand
Whitlock are other members whose
Judgment deserves respectful consid-
GRAFTON. We may assume. therefore,
that the plan they have approved has
merit as a contribution to our
thought on international cooperation.
We are quite willing to assume
this in advance of the publication of
the plan, although we also think that
Mr.. Bok's inspiration is a product of
pacifism and international sentiment
which work mischief, so far as they
work at all, upon the American mind
But pass over this important as
pect of the Box project and concede
that valuable and novel suggestions
have been brought forth. But why
the popular referendum?
The ballot reads as follows: DO
you approve the winning plan? Yes.
No"
What farce! The plan is approx
ed by Elihu Root and his well known
cojurors. 1t is redolent of the ideal
ism and altruism which are so easy
to approve in theory and without i'm
mediate sacrifice of any Sind-one of
those noble gestures of amity which
give us a glow of optimism and self !
esteem. Authority and noble motive
buttress it. What man or woman |
will vote no? A few, perhaps, who /
have we'll formed opinions, who have !
read and pondered on the subject of |
international relations. The over /
majority of us, who have
done neither, and who are ready to |
approve anything not palpably absurd |
which is offered to us as a means of
international peace, viii
vote yes. The affirmative costs moth
ing at the moment. Why vote no?
The result is foregone. It is a hol-
ow form. If we had forgot the peace
snip and other manifestations Of pac-
fist mentality, we should say it is
iisingenuOus. Mr.. Root is certainly
lot ingenious nor is he the man to
AXE such a referendum seriously as
IN expression Of judgment He at
east knows 1t is worth about as much
IS a referendum: Do you want an
'ther war? Yes or no.
But ingenious or disingenuous, the
deserves condemnation
N perfectly clear grounds. 1t de-
erves condemnation because it i'm
lies that men and women are fitted
o give judgment on a subject which
hey have not studied. to give a judg-
nent which to be sound requires I
eading, examination of experience,
7ide information, and considerable
pecial knowledge. The referendum
eserves condemnation because in Z
eality it is not an appeal to such {