Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1917 — League to Enforce Peace or Domination by One Nation Alone Will Stop Warfare [ARTICLE]

League to Enforce Peace or Domination by One Nation Alone Will Stop Warfare

By A. LAWRENCE LOWELL

President of Harvard University

Under present conditions it is easy to see that wars in the future are likely to become more rather than less barbarous, if the world is to go on with great nations standing armed against one another, each planning or fearing an attack, and each preparing to the utmost for the shock. Mankind is brought face to face with the alternative of losing its civilization in the blast of war, or of contriving some means of stopping war; and there would appear to be only two means of stopping war, either-a league of the nations of the earth for that purpose, or the domination of the whole world by one government. The latter does not come within American philosophy, for we would not be that nation if we could, and if we did, we should lose in the process all in the way of political principles that we have stood for; and we certainly cannot contemplate a domination of the world by any other nation. The alternative, then, is a league of nations for the prevention of war. Of all the plans proposed for common actiqn among nations to prevent war, the only one which seems to have a chance of success is that of the League to Enforce Peace, because it proposes the use of force. Utopian ideas of a millennium based upon a belief in the progressive moral improvement of men are all very well, but they do not remedy thb disease from which the present organization of mankind into hostile nations suffers. To leave force out in regulating international affairs, on the theory of thb eventual perfectahility of man, would be lUce~disßanding the police force of a large city on the same ground. Mankind needs the policeman not only because many men are bad, but because many are timid, more distrustful than they are untrustworthy, ready to strike for fear that others may do so first —for fear is no less a source of violence than is evil intent. The experience of the world has shown that when anyNiuthority is set up, backed by force, men cease to carry arms, hut are ready, if necessary, to support those to whom force is intrusted. The time has come when we mustguLJorce behind International law, as we do behind every other kind of law that is obeyed.