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The Commoner
VOL. 21, NO. 5
12
Peace Society Has
New League Plan
(By Frederic William Wile, in Philadelphia
Public Ledger.)
Public Ledger Bureau, Washington, May 30.
Dr. James Brown Scott, distinguished authority
on international law and associate of Elihu Root
in formulating the World Court of Justico au
thorized by the Leaguo of Nations, has drawn
up a scheme for a now association of nations.
Tho Public Ledger bureau is enabled to pr3
sent tho preliminary draft of the project, which
call for tho establishment of an "Administrative
Council for tho Advancement of International
Law." It embraces cardinal features of the ex
isting leaguo, especially the world court, and
providos for utilization of certain functions of
tho pro-war Hague tribunal. In general, the
Scott plan, which is offered in tho name of tho
American Poace Society providos for a workable
substitute for the Leaguo of Nations.
Tho assembly of the league under it would be
.'eprosented by the erstwhile diplomatic repre-
Jcntativos of tho nations at some world capital.
nstoad of tho council of the league there would
"e an advisory committee of its own members,
looted by the diplomatic corps in question. The
esiding officer of the organisation would bo
'ie foreign minister of the country to which the
;orps was accredited. An advantage over the
resent league is that its proposed substitute
vould bo in continuous session.
FOURTEEN POIN-TS IN THE PROJECT
Dr. Scott's project has been laid down in a
program of fourteen points whether by accident
or reminiscent design is not disclosed. Its out
standing variation from the league covenant
is that it eliminates the use of eithor economic
or military force to carry out the organization's
decrees. Its basic purpose is to elevate judicial
settlement of international controversies to the
place of power now held by armies and navies.
The scheme gets rid, Dr. Scott thinks, of politi
cal entanglements, of the idea of a "super-government"
and 'of other features in the present
leaguo assailed in the United States as unac
ceptable. Its scope is so wide that every branch of ac
.ivity exercised by the league provisions for
disarmaments, mandates and other special
'motions can be exercised by the commission
system .
Discussing the board outline of his scheme
with the writer today, Dr. Scott said:
"My proposition is a modest attempt to pre
serve in simpler form tho idea of the league
covenant and to enable all of its legitimate
functions to be carried out in some city where
thoro is a permanent diplomatic reresentation
of all nations. I have' christened the pro
posed organization an 'Administrative Council
for the Advancement of International Law but
it could just as well be called a league, or an
association or a society.
"I have been guided by one basic thought.
Millions of people all over the world, including
a good many of us in the United States, thought
the Versailles covenant was the thing. But the
f To 9 nW?U u n? H?vo lU Events on November
2, 1920 indicated the American people at large
were at least not widely in favor of it . That
at any rate, is the conclusion that has to be
drawn. What next? Are we to rest contend
with seeing the world in a hopeless rut?
"There was a certain wise Greek named Solon
who achieved considerable success in framing
laws for his community. When certain of hi!
conclusions were criticized, he said: I did not
give Jhe people of Athens the best laws I could
devise but I gave them the best they wo d
accept' So. in an humble way, I have tried
to evolve a scheme that many not in some re
spects be as good as the League of Nations
but one that, at least, seems to be handicanned
EfaUta." f thG 0bJeCU0I1S raiSGd t0 th"t o'SS
AGREEMENTS PROPOSED
After a preamble reciting that princinleq
laid down by President Cleveland and Elihu
Root are at the bottom of his project Dr Scott
proposes .(following series of fourteen 'agree
ments: '' " atlcu
"First. An agreement upon the calling of
a new conference for the advancement of in
ternational law in continuation of the first two
references at stated intervals to continue tho
work left unfinished for the following purposes:
"(a) To restate the established rules of in
ternational law, especially, and in the first
instance, in the fields affected by events of the
recent war.
"(b) To formulate and agree upon tho
amendments and additions, if any to tho rules
of international law shown to be necessary or
useful by the events of the war and tho changes
in the conditions of international life and in
tercourse which have followed the war.
"(c) To endeavor to reconcile divergent
views and secure general agreement upon the
rules which have been in disputo heretofore.
"d) To consider the subjects not now ade
quately regulated by international law, but as
to which the interests of international justice
require that rules of law should be declared
and accepted.
"II. An agreement upon the calling as soon
as practicable of the conference for the ad
vancement of international law, and its organ
ization outside of the domination of any one
nation, or any limited group of nations, to which
every nation recognizing, accepting and applying
international law in its relations with other
nations shall be invited, and in which all shall
participate upon tho footing of equality.
"III. An agreement upon the establishment
of an administrative council to be composed
of the diplomatic representatives of the nations
accredited to the government of the state in
which the conference for the advancement of
international law convenes, and to represent the
common interests of the nations during the in
terval between successive conferences.
FOR AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
"IV. An agreement upon the appointment
by the administrative council outside its own
members of an executive committee or secre
tary's office, to perform such duties under the
supervision of the administrative council or ad
visory committee as the conference for the ad
vancement of international law or the nations
shall from time to time prescribe.
"V. An agreement upon the appointment by
the administrative council pursuant to instruc
tions from their respective governments of other
committees for the performance of such duties
as the nations in their wisdom shall find it
desirable to impose.
"VI. An agreement upon the appointment bv
the nations represented at the conferences for
the advancement of international law of techni
cal advisors who may be thought by them
necessary to assist the administrative council
the advisory committee or other committees ap
pointed by the council in the performance of
their respective duties.
nY1 ,An aSi'eement upon the creation of a
council of conciliation of limited membership
with power on behalf of the nations in dispute
.to add to its members, to consider, to discuss
and to report upon such questions of a nonjusti
ciable character which may from time to me
be submitted to it by an agreement of tho now
ers in dispute or which may be submitted by
the ndmmistrative council.
n,o'VIIL An reement 'of the nations upon
the appointment and employment of a commis
sion of inquiry as advocated by Secrete nf
of State Bryan in his treaties for the advance
ment of peace, to refer a dispute of any na?ur
whatsoever for investigation and report th
the obligation freely accepted by the Nations to
the agreement not to declare war or To w
hostilities pending such investigation and T
friendly composition whereYeasp
a S-jniSe of
an agreement to the comry t JubmHS
to the permanent court of arb ltra ioi? V m
Hague in order that they may be di?Si5
a basis of respect for law. SspSte of a W
ciable nature may likewise be . rVferrVd tl ?i
permanent court of arbitration nf I? tho
whenever they are, in he opinion of It H?.8ue
in dispute, of a technical n 0 or wWwn8
the failure of (iiplomaw to ?.fw s! upo"
an pan.es ' ,CM TMo
states in controversy may submit, by ,., .
agreement, disputes beyond the scope of S
tory jurisdiction. U1'8a
TO ENLARGE JURISDICTION
XII. An agreement to enlarge the obllgur
jurisdiction of the court without losine tJ
ucimiio 1111.0 uuuuuoivijr vu fcllttlU agalNSl tl
arbitrary exercise of power. This can b0 do
by means of the conference for the advancerrS
of international law, through whose operation x
the domain of international law and the rules if
law to be applied by the court will bo continual!!
extended. '
"XIII. An agreement of the states InwardW
to apply international law as a rule of law to
the decision of all questions involving its nrb
ciples and outwardly to apply international law
to all questions arising between and among the
members of the Society of Nations in so far
as the questions involve the law of nations.
"XIV. An agreement on the part of all
states adequately to instruct their subjects or
citizens in their international obligations and
duties as well as in their rights and prerogatives
There would thus be created the International
mind as defined by Nicholas Murray Butler
and an enlightened public opinion which shall
persuade in the future, where force has failed to
compel in the past, the observance of that stand
ard of honor, morality and justice which ob
tains between individuals, bringing in its train
law t and order through which, and through
which alone, peace between nations may becomo
practicablerattainable and desirable."
MR. BRYAN IN GEORGIA
(Atlanta Journal, June 6.)
In Atlanta, Monday, to deliver an address
at Wesley Memorial church Monday night to
the students of Emory university in connection
with tho commencement exercises, William
Jennings Bryan gave out an interview on prohi
bition, disarmament and taxation, and made v
public an editorial to appear in the next issuo
of The Commoner, his paper, in Lincoln, Neb.,
explaining his reasons for moving his legal resi
dence from that city to Miami, Fla.
In this editorial Mr. Bryan indicated that he
will take part in the politics of Florida from
time to time as issues arise, and though he did
not mention specifically.- the next Democratic
national convention, it was not difficult to sur
mise from his language that he expects to attend
that convention as a member of the Florida
delegation. Mr. Bryan's removal from Nebraska
to Florida makes him a next door neighbor to
Georgia in a political sense.
Sentiment in favor of prohibition is growing
everywhere throughout the country, declared
Mr. Bryan, in his interview, and as fast as
leaks are discovered in the Volstead law they
will be stopped by congress.
Sentiment is growing, also,, in favor of dis
armament, throughtout the world, Mr. Bryan
said, and his opinion i that the United States
should lead the way for the world by reducing
armaments through agreement if the other na
tions can be brought to agree, but by example
without agreement if necessary.
Congress has not made progress to date in
reducing taxation, Mr. Bryan said, but on tho
contrary has "backed back possibly to get a
running start."
His address to the students of Emory, Mon
day evening, will be on the quotation from
David: "Is the young man Absalom safe?" He
will discuss the relation of a young man to gov
enment, to society and to God, and what lie has
to say, he explained, will apply as well to young
women as to young men.
t "Prohibition enforcement," said Mr. Bryan,
'will become more efficient and complete month
after month. The Volstead law dealt with the
difficulties then apparent, but in such matters
experience is the only teacher, and leaks have
to be closed as they are discovered. The Palm
er ruling disclosed a leak and it will be stopped
by congress.
"If it were understood that every one desir
ing a drink must first be sick, a wave of debility
would sweep over the land. Having to bo sick
in order to obtain the first dose, the patient would
remain sick to continue the medicine, and tho
more medicine he took the sicker he would be
come. That ruling if allowed to stand would
create an economic situation that would impair
production. The prohibition sentiment is in
creasing everywhere. Even New Jersey has
adopted a law in harmony with the Volstoad
law, over Governor 'Edwards' veto. The last
heard of Edward'he was putting a bottle of
whisky in a cornerstone. It means something
when a man like Edwards has to keep M
whisky in a cornerstone."
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