Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-26
CHECKING CAUSES OF CONFLICT
LEADS TO PEACE, BLISS HOLDS
Chief of Staff Claims Issues for War Will Exist for
All Time, But Finding Means of Making Them
:, imperative Will Bring End of Strife.

tween civilized states can be summed
up by saying that they originate in
disputes about what tone side or both
claim to be vital rights or interests.
The whole problem certers on that
one word disputes" These may
grow cut of just causes, or unjust,
but the trust is solely to find "a.
tional way for their settlement.
The genius of man has not been
able to devise other than four ways
by which to settle disputes amicably,
whether between individuals or be.
tween states.
Three ways-friendly discussion,
mediation. and Cancellation and arbi.
tration-the world has always had.
The first two have doubtless settled
In O friendly way countless centric
versies' betweeH. states and are, of
course, a vastly important element in
the foundation OF. internatio9laF peace;
but the spirit underlying them is
rather In the nat ure of "a Cement
which binds together the other blocks.
The third Observation-Disclosures
also settled a great and increasing
number of questions during the whole
historic period. But also, manifestly,
u Is not firm, solid, rigid enough to
bear its full share Of weight. It Is
like one Of those valuable building
stones which, when taken from the
quarry, are soft and which become
fully suited for their purpose only
by lapse of time, fastened perhaps
by skillful treatment. What treat
ment? There is only one. Lava
carefully formulated code of interna-
tlonal law-changing somewhat and
growing from time to time as all
/. codes must-which will specifically
define the rights and duties of states,
to be formally accepted by their
legislatures, with a formal agreement
to abide by it.
Those who believe in international
law cannot get away from the fact
that all human law is, essentially, the
exercise, by the community, of sur
rendered rights. But just as the
community found that it could exer-
else them only through law made by
the very individuals who surrendered
them, so 1t learned in practice that
there can be no law except it be adj
ministered by a court. If it could
exist without this, it could only be
as the arbitrary will of the strongest.
With this surrender of the exercise
of certain rights for the purpose of
preserving them, and with their
preservation by law. came the demili.
tariztion of domestic society, the dis
armament of the individual man
within the State. And with all that,
in rapid strides came civilization; nor
could 1t have come in any other way.
Now, can any one show that this
law of progress, which has been slow
ly operating for all time to bring the
individuals of states from barbarisrn
to civilization. stops with the indi-
ViCual and does Oot annlys To- tbs
states? If he can, then, even IL we
continue to have civilization within
the state, we are doomed forever to
recurrent outbreaks of savagery be-
tween them. Who believes this?
We can have no disarmament with
out a sufficient code of law and an
effective court to administer it. We
will have neither Of these without
such an organization Of the conlmu-
nifty of NJ ions as will give the express
sion to - will Of the peoples within