Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-26
Perpetual Peace Treaties.

neva, may suggest a perpetual peace
pact with the United States. A SINH.
lar proposal already has been made
to this Government by France. The
| dove of peace is stirring, notwith-
standing the war clouds which gath
cred after the withdrawal of diplo.
matte relations between Great Brit
ain and Soviet Russia.
The efficacy, Of perpetual peace trea-
ties, or treaties to outlaw war between
the nations, is still subject to doubt.
The world had a demonstration in
1914 of what one powerful nation did
to treaty pledging the neutrality Of
Belgium. But the suggestions now
emanating from French and Japanese
sources for treaties Of perpetual peace
with the United States may be steps
in the right direction. Utopia may be
afar, but striving to reach that happy
state has its good points.
The United States, however, must
not be lured into a too complacent
mood because OF the peaceful MUIR
murs from abroad. At present it is
engaged in a conference looking to
further limitation of naval arma.
ments. This Government and the
American people are DESTROYS that
this conference shall be successful,
both for the sake of the cause Of in
ternational peace and because Of the
economic value of avoiding race In
naval construction. But there is no
good reason that the United States
should strip itself more completely Of
its armament than the other great
powers engaged in the conference.
Indeed, In the present state Of world
politics. there is every reason why
the United States should look to its
national defense. Since the world be-
gan people, in the final analysis,
has been compelled to look to itself
in time of emergency. Emergency is
merely a polite term for war.
There is no good reason, however,
why agreements for permanent peace
between the nations may not be en-
tered into hopefully while those ma.
tons maintain reasonable armies and
navies for national defense in case of
an emergency. The American Ambas-
sador to Great Britain, In a recent
speech at Harvard, described the ma
neuvers Of governments which have
led to war. The peoples themselves,
Of self-governing countries so called, he
said. have little to do with the gradual
shifting of international relations
which one day abruptly precipitate
war. The people are busy with the
more humble and prosaic task of
earning O living. The manevvering
is done by little groups of men called
governments" Although self.govern.
ing peoples might be expected to re.
serve to themselves the right of de.
claring war, since 1t affects their lives
more seriously than any other single
event, that right Is delegated to the
government. In Mr.. Houghton's opin.
ion, whole peoples, If given an oppor-
tunity to pass upon the question of
war or peace, might decide very diff
ferently and more wisely than do the
governing groups. He added: per.
sonally I believe we cannot safely
continue to be democratic within our
national frontiers and autocratic in
our relations with the other self-gov-
erning peoples" A significant pro.
nouncement from one Of Americas
foremost diplomats.
Mr.. Houghton suggested an interna-
tional conference between nations
whose peoples are most alike in an.
cestry, who possess roughly the same
degree Of economic and political ad.
vancement, accept the same standards
of life. respond to the same appeals
and react to the same emotions, for
the purpose Of negotiating treaties Of
permanent peace, to be ratified by the
votes Of majority of the qualified
voters in each nation, and pledging
the nations not to attack for a period
of, say. a hundred years."
Treaties of this character, ratified
by the peoples themselves. might have
a more binding effect than those ne
gotiated by small governmental
groups, Mr.. Houghton holds. Pos.
sibly he is right, though the consti.
tutionalists in this country will point
out that all treaties entered into by
this country must be negotiated by
the executive with the advice and con-
sent of the United States Senate.
Bergdoll wants to come home. He
| did not appreciate a good home when