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The Commoner
VOL. lfl, no. 6
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League of Nations to Avert Inter
national Anarchy
By Samuel J. Graham, Assistant 'Attorney
Gonoral of tho United States. Published in tho
Now York Tlmos, January 12, 1D19.J
I -vvlsh to direct attention briefly to tho inter
national anarchy that rioted through Europe for
fifty years prior to this war, and which caused
it, and the international anarchy that existed
among our thirteen original states during tho
porlod intervening between tho close of tho
Revolutionary war and the adoption of the con
stitution, and was wiped out by tho institution
of a loaguo of nations, known as tho United
States of America.
By tho word anarchy I mean what its deriva
tion from two Greek words, ono meaning "with
out" and tho other "government" implios: A
state of lawlessness or political disorder; a state
of lawless confusion; a condition of society
whore thero is no law or supremo power and tho
absence of regulating power in any sphere
IRRESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL NATIONALISM
For fifty years or more prior to this war
Europe internationally has been in a state of
lawlessness and confusion and political disorder.
Its nations wore each in a way a law unto itself,
or trying to bo. Each was controlled in its
actions toward tho othor nations solely by its
own purposes and seeming interests. Each pur
sued a policy of irresponsible individual national
ism, as distinguished from collective nationalism
and international concert. Thero was an absenco
of supromo directing and restraining control of
the purposes and intorsts of all. There was con
fusion and disordor as far as their relations
with oach other worp concerned.
Many of their loaders and roputed statesmen
wore anarchists in the sense that thoy were
promoters and creators of international lawless,
noss and disorder. For instance, Bismarck was
an anarchiBt in that ho had no regard for the
rights or tho lives, and was willing at any timo
to tako tho property, of any neighboring people,
and deliberately played tho part in the three
wijrs which Germany wantonly waged while ho "
was controlling her policies.
International anarchy, and its hand maiden,
diplomacy, consort with neither morals nor con
science. It represents tho reign of physical force,
and is a perpetual struggle for mastery, as is
tho balance of power policy, its twin brother.
Tho powor that rolios on tho sword nevor shares
or limits its authority.
This International anarchy was the child of
tho policy of individual nationalism, which con
trolled the lifo of Europe before and dur
ing tho period aboyo nontloned, and tho
life of tho thirteen states, as stated, prior
to tho adoption of the constitution. It pro
duced in Europe its logical result, war. It
was abandoned in time by our thirteen states
and replaced by collective nationalism' in tho
form of a league of nations, which is merely a
combination of free peoples, a system by which
certain phases of the lifo in nations, whero
thoir common interests are affected, is con
trolled by a central authority under given limi
tations and restraints, upo'n the principle that
what is for tho benefit of tho whole is good for
each part.
And hero it should bo remembered that each
of these thirteen individual states was, for all
practical purposes at tho time mentioned, an in
dividual nation controlling, its own affairs, and
with its own form of government. It was by
resorting to this policy of collective nationalism
through an unwritten leaguo of friendship in
which they pooled their armies, navies, and
resources, that the United States, Japan,' and tho
Allies and othor nations fought this war to a
successful finish. They had abandoned to a very
largo extent tho previously existing principle of
individual nationalism to do it.
Tho potent instrument of individual national
ism In this international anarch in Europe has
been a system of international deception,
trickery, and haggling termed diplomacy, tho
practices and accomplishments of which have
flam." Tho persons who havo practiced it most
successfully and true to accepted form have
shown themselves, to put it plainly, to have
combined either the characteristics of tho gun-
man and the "green goods man,," as in the case
of Bismarck, or of tho "confidence man" and
tho "card sharp," as in tho casoof Metternich.
Diplomacy has acted on the principle of "do
your neighbor or ho will do you," and "every
man for himself." It was parent of the inter
national anarchy which stalked through Europe
in bloody boots prior to this war, which has
just filled the world with horror and disgust.
Its system was stealthy and secretive, even to
its own people its acts were not revealed, and
too often its ignoble methods and results were
attired in some high-sounding phraso or boast
to hide its deformity.
So much in general. Now, to be more par
ticular, I wish to point out how individual na
tionalism in Europe by creating international
anarchy brought on war, and how international
anarchy, born of the same policy, among the
thirteen original states, which held high carnival
in this country during the period from the closo
of tho Revolution to the adoption of the con
stitution, was arrested and put out of business
and peace established by these states abandon
ing the policy of individual nationalism, and
adopting tho policy of collective nationalism, or
International concert, as embodied in the con
stitution of tho United States, tho first great
league of free peoples, and which established
peace for each and all of them.
The history of Europe for sixty years prior
to the late war, and that of the states tor five
years prior to the adoption of tho constitution,
each present pictures of international anarchy
produced by individual nationalism. The events
( in each case can only bo touched upon very
' briefly in this" communication.
NO CO-OPERATION FOR COMMON GOOD
Beginning with the year 1850 and down to
August, 1914, when this war began, each state
in Europe was operating" as an individual na
tionality, with relations mora or loss Intimate
with other individual nationalities. There was
no general co-operation among them for the
common good. Each, was seeking its own in
terests, preparing for either offensive or de
fensive war. Each was controlled in its 'own
passions, prejudices, and purposes, and went its
own way without any particular regard for the
rights of the others, except so far as they
affected its o n interests favorably. During this
period of sixty-four years eight different wars
occurred in Europe, not counting this last war,
In one or tho other of which, at times in one,
at other times in two or three, the following
governments were engaged: Prussia, Austria,
Russia, Franco, Italy, Turkey, Serbia, Rumania,
Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, and Denmark.
This state of international anarchy began
with tho rape of Denmark by Prussia and
Austria, and ended In the lawless invasion and
spoliation of Belgium and the horrors and
crimes of the war just ended. Most of these
were wars of aggression, deliberately planned
mm unminaiiy carried out. Thoir known pur
pose was either commercial brigandage or ter
ritorial robbery, worked out without the least
regard for the lives, rights, and happiness of
the individual human beings, or the nation as
a whole, i ffected.
In this style Prussia and Austria made war
on littlo Denmark and robbed her of territory
Prussia made war on France after, throueli
crooked diplomacy, arranging it that no other
nation would come to her aid, and robbed her
of territory and a big indemnity. And so on
through the criminal and disgusting roll of
these wars, while anarchy laughed to see the
sport.
The climax of this carnival of blood and crime
XJGAA ...trIblo war Soh
SUCked Into thfi hnminir irM.tnv i. . ..
l &S?Z3F& coition as
shown it to be but chicanery dressed In the garb to continue? r Shall ITJfT"8 ! Permitted
ot. unbridled officialism and the nomn of 5r I 11311?,. ,e?ort made to effect
terns which produced these results be nermiffmi
to continue? Shall n aw l"!.prmA"ea
or.ununaiea omciaiism ana the pomp of nower a Minn thnn ihZ 1 1 uo,mttUO lo eueCt
H S!TX.S?2 :?' businU?Wanrd ?hf SSSaSTof 'Sur SSt5"2S ?
ub,ub ui cu ureet, a game of "film- shown that thero la an effective Jirnedy -by
limiting irresponsible indivlciimi .
Bubstituting collective nationalism? an(1
Even had the world no such tent i
would, bo foolish and cowardly no Pan ,l
work out one. Whilo this many-head!? to
lies wounded and crippled among thoJeasl
of its victims, shall no weapon bo used r?ses
effort made to finish it? It is always eaZ"
follow precedent and let tho wowaeefV0
to think cr know hlstorV and draw uSJ , an
its lessons and act upon them. It is safer ,
ways to stand by and see murder done L ,'
gunman than to attempt to protect his Xii
and arrest him. uini
CONDITIONS CONSTANTLY CHANGING
Forms of government, whether despotism
monarchies, or democracies, are, in the laS
analysis, experiments in human housckcenln?
The world is, has been, and always will be in
transition and in a flux. Conditions are con.
stantly changing, which necessitate changes in
the methods of governmental housekeeping
There is no trick of perpetual motion in go!
ernment any more than in machinery. What
under the conditions of yesterday was impos
sible becomes not only possible, but necessary
today. There was a time when each man lived
in his own house, and st" rea were not known
for cooking and modern methods of architecture
were not practiced. Today he lives gregariously
in apartment houses.
At the time when our constitution was
adopted the thirteen states were as remote from
and had less communication with each other
than the peoples of the world have with each
othor today. So that the government house
keeping that was impossible fo'r the world at
that timo may be possible today, and tho ac
cepted method in the near future.
As times go on, each generation lias a larger
store of clarified experience, material and im
proved methods with which to build.
Had collective nationalism been in existence
in Europe in the form of a league of nations,
combining tho morSl, physical, and economic
forces of tho nations, Denmark would not Iiaye
been wantonly attacked and ravished, nor would
any of these wars probably have occurred. The
balance of power policy was in full swing dur
ing this period, and instead of acting as a pre
ventive of international anarchy it proved to be
a breeder of it.
Now a word or two as to tho second part
of my proposition:
After the conclusion of the Revolutionary
war lethargy and lack of interest in the general
welfare of the states as a whole developed, and
vital ambition and the spirit of co-operation
seemed in a meas-re to have flown. The gov
ernment, under the articles of confederation,
seemed to have lost its purpose and the reason
for its existence. Each separate state began to
be absorbed entirely with i4.s own small affairs
and neglect its duty toward the common in
terest. The articles themselves were without
effective means of effecting their purposes.
The states began to pass discriminatory tarns
against each other, to issue each its own irre
deemable paper money as legal tender for w
One state .refused to surrender criminals w
another state because it approved of their crim
inal acts. The people of Pennsylvania and lob
necticut were actually at war, plundering aaa
killing each other in the Wyon Mg Valley. ,bnay
rebellion occurred in Massachusetts, mods
certain points in Massachusetts brok e up w
courts. Generally the states almost to iw
limit indulged in petty hostility toward eau
other. There was a jealous spirit among ww
striving each for its own advantage and i ww
f ul of a chance to do inj try to some other si
ANARCHY AMONG THE STATES
' Confusion and discord and intern"
anarchy whore everywhere present, uueit
state having adopted again a policy onnom
nationalism, which they had abandoned in -league
of friendship for tho common intwe
all during the Revolutionary war. It is
Bible here to picture fully the deplorable c
dltlons of international anarchy amoub
states which existed at this period. Auy
who has, or will, study the history of tne j t
will, I am sure, agree with my sta teffljn
international anarchy existed in f' kiBgof
ana tnreatening suujljo. "- j.
this state of international moW,1 n-
"it is as ciear to me a y us ono
sion of Federal power wpuld maw er.
the most happy, wealthy, respectablo, a
ful nations that ever lnnamwu
, m
MfjSiMtiiii