With court and town meeting established, I believe that the effective
outlawry of war is possible. War cannot be outlawed if this is proposed
as a device to preserve the present division of territory in Europe.
War cannot be outlawed for the protection of injustice or oppression
anywhere. Such political chicanery in the outlawry of war would in the
end meet with a fearful punishment.
The outlawry of war can succeed permanently, I think, only when
accompanied by a general willingness on the part of nations to be
just and by such an appreciation of others’ problems as will lead to
a friendly spirit of “give and take.” Such jealous nationalism as
has historically ruled our Senate is incompatible with it. “Vital
interests” and “the national honor” cannot be made exceptions for
private treatment, neither can “domestic” questions that are not
exclusively domestic, as the American delegation justly urged at the
recent opium convention.
The honest outlawry of war demands a higher development of the will
to peace and justice than has been observed among great nations in
the past. This is why it is the third rather than the first step to
be taken. Yet, until aggressive war has been branded as a crime, and
until the aggressor has been defined, the prevention of war will be
haphazard, and the growth of an effective world opinion against war
will be slow and uncertain.
The Geneva Protocol for the Pacific Settlement of International
Disputes has been ratified by 16 nations including France. It deserves
study side by side with the Borah Resolution. Personally I believe
that “sanctions” which are to become effective automatically are
impracticable. I cannot imagine England seizing our property or
blockading us because our Senate refused to accept a League decision.
Wise men make no threats, knowing that they may not want to carry them
out and that perhaps to do so would be injustice and folly. Events have
justified the founders of our Republic in giving the Supreme Court no
force but public opinion to support its decisions as between states.
The system has limped at times, but it has always worked better than
attempted coercion would have done.