[Adopted in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, June 17, 1915.]
Throughout 5,000 years of recorded history, peace, here and
there established, has been kept, and its area has been
widened, in one way only. Individuals have combined their
efforts to suppress violence in the local community.
Communities have co-operated to maintain the authoritative
state and to preserve peace within its borders. States have
formed leagues or confederations or have otherwise
co-operated to establish peace among themselves. Always
peace has been made and kept, when made and kept at all, by
the superior power of superior numbers acting in unity for
the common good.
Mindful of this teaching of experience, we believe and
solemnly urge that the time has come to devise and to create
a working union of sovereign nations to establish peace
among themselves and to guarantee it by all known and
available sanctions at their command, to the end that
civilization may be conserved, and the progress of mankind
in comfort, enlightenment, and happiness may continue.
We, therefore, believe it to be desirable for the United
States to join a league of nations binding the signatories
to the following:
1. All justiciable questions arising between the signatory
powers, not settled by negotiations, shall, subject to the
limitations of treaties, be submitted to a judicial tribunal
for hearing and judgment, both upon the merits and upon any
issue as to its jurisdiction of the question.
2. All other questions arising between the signatories and
not settled by negotiation shall be submitted to a Council
of Conciliation for hearing, consideration, and
recommendation.
3. The signatory powers shall jointly use forthwith both
their economic and military forces against any one of their
number that goes to war, or commits acts of hostility,
against another of the signatories before any question
arising shall be submitted as provided in the foregoing.
4. Conferences between the signatory powers shall be held
from time to time to formulate and codify rules of
international law, which, unless some signatory shall
signify its dissent within a stated period, shall thereafter
govern the decision of the judicial tribunal mentioned in
Article 1.
There were half a dozen brief speeches in favor of the report. John
Wanamaker did not think the report went far enough. He had hoped the
conference would send out a message to the warring nations that would
make them pause and think. He could not help but favor the report, he
added, but felt that it, standing alone without any further action,
would be laughed at by those on the other side of the Atlantic.
It is expected the Executive Committee will meet in the near future to
adopt plans to carry out the objects of the league. One of the things
that probably will be done, according to members of the Executive
Committee, will be to start a propaganda in this country with a view
to having the United States Senate adopt measures in line with the
object of the league. Mr. Taft said today that, judging by its action
in rejecting treaties in the past, the chief stumbling block to the
aspirations of the league would be the Senate. Steps will also be
taken to get European countries interested in the league.