Show Gre Great t Problems by Authorities c AMERICA LINING UP WITH LOCARNO By James T. T Shotwell Famous Historian His His- torian of World War and One of the Authors of the Ge Geneva Geneva Ge- Ge neva Protocol Three motions for or outlawing war are now congress as us a. a direct result re suit sult of ot the tho BrUnd Briand peace offer Senator Capper Cappers a plan Is a direct affirmative answer to this tUIs Invitation from 1 France ranee to form fonn a permanent peace pact Mr loll Shotwell views view this plan a as aft a sane and practical measure of ot aligning ourselves with the tho spirit of 0 the Locarno treaties When M. M Briand foreign minister minister minis minis- ter of France on April C G the last the tenth anniversary of ot Americas America's en entrance entrance en en- trance into the tho World war war invited invited tho the United States to make a treaty of permanent peace with France and thus set a positive example for forthe forthe forthe the outlawry o of war it seemed at first as though this country was paying no attention to so striking a message Through gh the summer summer and fall fail however a great body of newspaper per comment from over a thousand sources began to voice the common ideal of ot the American people peo pie an ideal that had b been n expressed expressed ex ex- ex pressed by President Cleveland forty forty forty for for- ty years ago when in m reply to a memorial for international arbitration tion ho said I I believe I am speaking for the American people in giving the assurance that they wish to see th the killing of men for the ac accomplishment accomplishment ac- ac of national ambition abolished The statement of President Pres Pres- ident Cleveland is a a. direct answer to the question of M M. Briand for this is exactly what he meant when he he proposed to ito outlaw war He expanded this proposal in terms that are an exact French paraphrase of President Cleveland's statement He proposes that we renounce war as an instrument of policy as be between between be be- tween the two republics In the opening days of congress the Briand peace offer as it is isnow isnow isnow now called has definitely come to life as is shown by the three motions motions motions mo mo- mo- mo now v before congress Representative Representative Representative Burton presents a Joint resolution in both houses of congress congress con con- gress which aims alms at preventing pre the shipment of arms from this country country country coun coun- try to any other country that en eng engages engages en- en g gages in aggressive war in violation of of its previously given word to take its differences to court arbitration or other peaceful means of settlement settlement settle settle- ment The president would determine determine deter deter- mine whether an any anz country had hind so eo violated Its engagements in going to war tout ut if he decided that it had brad done so then we i should not allow ourselves to become the ac accomplice accomplice accomplice ac- ac of the aggressive by shipping arms to it ft but tout on the contrary would prevent such ship ship- ments This Is not a 1 direct reply to M l Briand but it would align ourselves with his policies in the treaties of pt Locarno and the covenant covenant covenant coven coven- ant of the lea league Ue without ling hing ourselves ourselves' in European politics Senator Capper has also Introduced introduced intro Intro- a resolution which Is a direct reply and Is Is' Is likely to become a program of policy in the months to come He lie proposes a a. joint resolution resolution reso reso- lution containing three parts the third of which is Is' almost Identical with that of Senator Burton ex except except ex ex- that he would no not have the United States prohibit shipments but only refuse to protect them when going to the aggressor state But Senator Capper precedes this point by toy two others which would inaugurate a new new day in our treatment treat treat- ment merit of w war wai r First t of ot all he proposes pro poses by treaty with Trance France and other t her minded like formally to renounce war as an Instrument of public policy y and nd t to adjust and settle its International disputes by mediation arbitration and conciliation concilia concilia- tion This Is Is' tho the Briand offer in ina ina ina a nutshell Can wo do it The president has expressed some doubt based on a l lawyers lawyer's argument that congress cannot be debarred of ot the power to declare war even by a treaty But I r fear that the president president dent did not look up the constitution constitution tion on this point or he lie would have seen that this kind of interpretation of article I I. I section 8 would equally make it Impossible for us to enter into any disarmament negotiations and would invalidate the negotiations negotiations of the Washington conference Moreover 1 the Bryan treaties which denied for a limited time the right of ot congress to go to war would come under the same condemnation tion indeed we should sh find Imd ourselves ourselves our our- selves unable to make ake a r reciprocity clI r r treaty or generally to deal with other nations in any activities which also affected the legislature As a matter of fact tact this line of legal reasoning reasoning reasoning rea rea- is simply ridiculous for other governments could equally advance the same kind of reasonIng reasoning reason reason- on- on ing in order to Invalidate their treaties The United d Stat States s can and does and ad will wiil make treaties in matters matters matters mat mat- that are also of interest to congress The Briand treaty cannot cannot cannot can can- not be held back by any such legal opposition Senator Cappers Capper's second point seems likely to meet with even more opposition It is By formal declaration declaration decla decla- ration to accept the definition o of aggressor nation as onE which one which having haying hav hay hay- ing agreed d to submit international differences to conciliation conciliation- arbitration arbitration arbitration tion or judicial settlement begins hostilities without having done so so Now the definition of an aggressor nation as ns given here is simply common cornmon com corn mon mOl sense but not all aU statesmen use that attribute in dealing dealing- with a problem of this kind particularly When hen they are not anxious to reach a favorable conclusion If H the definition definition were applied as a test it would automatically send the disputing disputing dis dis- nations to a peaceful means o of settlement This has Jas been done several times but the most striking instance was when the Greeks and Bulgarians Instead of going to war in 1925 consented to place their case casein casein in the hands of an aw investigating commission Had either of them rem refused and Instead had gone to towar towar towar war it would have been an aggressor sor according to this definition The definition does not deal with the justice of a nations nation's case but with the appropriate means that should be employed for remedying any any grievance e Th The proper means mean'S Is no longer to be the use of war except in the single instance of defense This wo would ld be a worthwhile outlawry out out- lawry awry of war for If It there were no aggression there wo would lit be ie ien n nci no n ne need dd d' d of defense Yet Senator Borah proposes proposes pro pro- poses an an outlawry of war nr which will not define either defense se i-se or ag- ag gre lon slon It seems to me that Sentor Senator Sena Sen tor Borah's outlawry plan does not accomplish Its nd because of this this' failure to define the aggressor if he Insists on the right lIght of defense an and I as most modern war has been fought under the name of defense he is therefore insisting on tho the maintenance of war under another name name unless he be is willing to draw a a. distinction such s as I have Indicated Indicated Indi Indi- here Copyright 1927 Cosmos CosmoR Newspaper per Syn Inca Inc Jb t c a C J |