Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-01
POLITICAL SCIENCE DIFFERS
GREATLY FROM POLITICS
Experts Gathered in Conference Here
Adopt Methods of Abstruse Character
i'm Attempts to Solve Problems. !

public opinion. State rights. the equal
| ity of men and nations and a govern
ment of laws.
I'm place of these formulas It should
seek to find concepts that will stand
the test of actual operations. and upon
! them it should begin to rebuild itself
| by an intimate observation of the
actualitics."
The populace is particularly in.fitted
| to deal with international questions,
Mr.. Norton told his hearers. and de.
mocracy in diplomacy generally makes
| mess. He referred to the framing
of the Versailles treaty. which
marked the end of the World War. as
a vicious example. The two leading
| actors. Lloyd George and Clemenceau,
he characterized as politicians, who
sought to secure not a just and last.
ing peace but a document that would
appeal to their constituents. and as
keeping one ear to the telephone to
learn the sentiment outside all the
while they were negotiating.
In other days both the central pow
ers and the allies would have sent
trained diplomats to Paris, who would
have felt little hatred for each other,
have understood the international stu.
alton and negotiated a workable peace
which the publics of the various coun-
tries would have known nothing about
until 1t was signed and delivered.
There would have been no opportu.
nifty for popular pressure from masses
inflamed with the hatred of four years
of war and propaganda.
Mentions Geneva Conference.
In the same way he characterized
the recent failure Of the Geneva con.
ference for the limitation Of naval
ornaments. First the American posi-.
ton was announced to the people
through the newspapers. Then the
British delegates announced that they
couldn't agree to certain aspects of it.
II the publics of the two countries had
known nothing about 1t, the delegates
could have traded back and forth until
they reached a position where both
could stand, and something would have
been accomplished.
AS it was. il either party had re-
treated an inch they would have been
branded as failures by the people of
their respective countries. who con.
sidered that national dignity would be
injured by any compromise. Thus
nothing was accomplished.
Nations never made war on each
other before the advance Of democ.
racy. Mr.. Norton said. The King of
France might make war on the En-
peror Of Germany and impress peas
| ants into his armies, but all the time
France and Germany at heart were
peaceful. The French peasants didn't
hate the German peasants. They
didn't know what The kings were fight
| ing about and didn't care. Their only
| function was to suffer and pay.
But with democracy it was neces.
sary to foster an intense nationalism
to induce the people to go to war at
all. So the politicians interested in
war spread propaganda which would
stir up hatreds Of whole people-with
all the disastrous consequences. Then
for the first time. a man who was
born in France began to hate a man
who was born in Germany and whom
he never had seen, solely because he
lived under another government.
| The American Historical Society 1t.
| self took a stand against the blah.
blah element. The purpose of history.
| it declared at the present meeting, is
to present a faithful picture of the pas st
| and Of the development of institutions,
not to foster patriotism. IL 1t hap.
pens to do SO. well and good. But let
the chips fall where they will, so long
| as they represent true facts. Intelli-
| gence Is preferable to blind worship
of national idols. The highest tribu.
| nal Is the throne Of truth.