Evening star., 1925-09-10
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL J.. COLLINS.

The essential difference between the
character of the League of Nations
and the Interparliamentary Union
seems TO lie in the method of ap
proach: The League of Nations leg
islates, and expects its member ma
tlons to respect its authority as dele
gated; the nterpaYliamentary Union
seeks TO formulate principles which
should actuate all right-meaning ma
tionalities, deriving their just power
from the consent of the governed
and seeking 10 educate public con
science to deal justly according TO &C
| cepted international rules of pro
cedure, enforced only by public senti-
| ment, which in all civilized nations is
the ruler of governments.
The Interparliamentary Union is
not to be confused with the so-called
peace societies masking as for peace
while plotting to weaken patriotic de-
fense against aggression and treason.
There is no agenda calling for de-
fenseleSsneSs of nations, but only dis
cussions of means by which occasions
of war may be leSsened through meas
ures trending toward mutual interna
tional agreements. The workings of
the Dawes plan for financial settle
ment of Europe, the possibilities of q
security pact and the development of
international law will be some of the
projects of the meetings.
Originally the chief aim of the In
terparliamentary Union was TO bring
about arbitration as a means of SET
ting all international differences; but
arbitration too often meant compro-
mise, which only left unhealed scars.
in place of means for getting at the
roots of trouble. Later, the scope was
broadened to include discussions of the
| rights of minorities, parliamentary
control of foreign policies-rather
| than secret treaties made by the inner
circles of iplomats-formulation of
code of international law and refer
ence to a court of Justice, formulating
agreements for management of man
dates, the uplifting of backward
peoples, and the equality of all ma
tions In the commerce through the
'open door," whether In China or else
where.
Representatives to the Interparlia-
mentary Union who came from states
interested in the League of Nations
sought in 1921 TO commit the Union to
an Endorsement of the league. but the
American group, which includes Sena-
tor Mckinley, chairman of the Amer
lean delegation; Representative Bur
ton and other members of Congress,
adopted a resolution saying:
''The time. we believe, has not ar
rived when our Union can profita bly,
discuss. much less decide upon. po-
litical or even economical questions
which may give rise to disputes be-
tween states The resolution urged
the, calling OF the third Hague con-
ference, and the extension of inter
national conciliation treaties and the
creation OF O. judicial union" OF the
nations. international Court of jus
| ticeD
For the first time the countries of
South America will be included in rep
resentation, and one of the meetings
| will be held in the Pan-American
Union Building.
The fundamental principle of the
Pan American Union, confined to
American nations, is almost identical
with the basic idea of the Interparlia-
mentary Union, namely that by con-
ference and personal contact of the
representative nations, differences may
be 'ironed OUT which at long range
! might lead to serious misunderstand-
ings. Neither union has power to
bind it's respective governments, but
it is the justified boast of the Pan
American Union that since its coun-
ell table was set, there has been no
war between any of its members.
When Marshal Foch looked upon
that Bile, after the World War. and
learned that about it sat in council
the diplomatic representatives of all
nations of America. he said. with
striking ifnpressiveness. IF Europe
had had such a council table, there
would have been no World War"
fcopyrirht 1873 BY rs ". ecIHnsA