Evening star., 1944-07-09
The Neev Books
The Great Decision

By James T. ShottDeI. (Mac-
millan.)
This statement of the necessities
Of the postwar world Is offered by q
distinguished historian who also has
had personal experience in interna-
tional relations. DR.. Shotwel, for
many years professor Of the his
tory of international relations at
Columbia University, served at the
preparatory peace conference in
19l7-18 and with the Interna-
tional Labor Legislation Committee.
His present plan for . new interna-
tional organization has the marks of
brilliant intelligence and a pro-
found knowledge. It also has the
marks of the theorist.
His main theme Is that war, hav-
ing become total, can no longer be
used IS 4 weapon of policy, since,
being total. 1t can no longer be con-
trolled. 1t throws the entire ma
chinery Of . nation out of gear, ),
though the nation may be victori-
Gus. Furthermore, total war, even
when waged in the interest of con-
stitutionalism, Is the enemy of con-
stitutional government, since it re-
quires a constant strengthening of
the executive at the expense Of the
legislative, a fascistic tendency dia-
metrically opposed to the whole
course Of liberal development. War,
therefore, must be liquidated If the
world Is to have order and freedom.
This has never before been true, DR..
Shotwell observes, and 1t gives an
urgence to present peace planning
which goes far beyond the mere hu-
manitarianism which has backed
peace movements In the past. Peace
Is now an item OF plain necessity.
With this sound base, DR.. Shot
well then offers his plan. It calls
for q new international organiza-
tion which, closely examined, looks
very much like the original League
OF Nations brought up to date; it
will have for its field the political
relations Of the member states.
There must also be a world court,
which will be occupied with jurid-
lcal disputes and questions. The
up-to-dateness OF the organization
lies mainly in increased provisions
for economic welfare in an interna-
tional bill of rights guaranteeing the
fundamental liberties to citizens of
member states, and, in a decided
stand on the old matter which
wrecked the League and which.
after all, must be the deciding fac
tor in the effectiveness Of any peace
setup-the armed force needed to
make decisions stick.
DIR. Shotwell says there must be
such force maintained by the in
ternational body. It should be an
air police with internationally main
tanned bases throughout the world
1t would be constantly in existence
and would owe its duty only to the
community Of nations. But there
the Shotwell plan comes on the old
stumbling block-the conflict be-
tween the international armed force
and the national ones.
1t allows for these latter but saws
they must be subject to limitation
and inspection by the central body,
with the eventual aim complete dis
armament. That is a plain anom-
ally, No nation is going to keep up
military establishment under con-
ditions which render that force
virtually useless. And it leads to
a still greater anomaly-thus: II
centralization is the enemy of con-
stitutionalism, how is constitutional
ism to be served by world centraliza-
ton? What it gets down to is that
the deciding factor between nations
remains force. and it Is for the
people to decide whether thev will
trust to their own leaders or be SUBJ
1ect to a weapon in the hands of a
world force, against which there
could be no recourse possible.