The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol. 1, January 9, 1915: What Americans Say to EuropeVarious
Philosophy
The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol. 1, January 9, 1915: What Americans Say to Europe
Various
World War, 1914-1918
"The postal service of the world has been internationalized in its
control for years. The several Postal Conventions have been evidences of
an international organization of the highest order.
"Europe abounds in illustrations of the international administration of
large things. The very laws of war, which are at present the subject of
so much and such bitter discussion, are the result of international
organization.
"They were not adopted by a Congress, a Parliament, or a Reichstag. They
were agreed to by many and divergent peoples, who sent representatives
to meet for their discussion and determination."
One of the Examples.
"In the admiralty law we have a most striking example of uniformity of
practice in all parts of the world. If a ship is captured or harmed in
the Far East and taken into Yokohama or Nagasaki, damages will be
assessed and collected precisely as they would be in New York or
Liverpool.
"The world is gradually developing a code for international legal
procedure. Special arbitral tribunals have tended to merge and grow into
the international court at The Hague, and that, in turn, will develop
until it becomes a real supreme judicial tribunal.
"Of course the analogy with the federated State fails at some points,
but I believe the time will come when each nation will deposit in a
world federation some portion of its sovereignty.
"When this occurs we shall be able to establish an international
executive and an international police, both devised for the especial
purpose of enforcing the decisions of the international court.
"Here, again, we offer a perfect object lesson. Our Central Government
is one of limited and defined powers. Our history can show Europe how
such limitations and definitions can be established and interpreted, and
how they can be modified and amended when necessary to meet new
conditions.
"My colleague, Prof. John Bassett Moore, is now preparing and publishing
a series of annotated reports of the international arbitration
tribunals, in order that the Governments and jurists of the world may
have at hand, as they have in the United States Supreme Court, reports,
a record of decided cases which, when the time comes, may be referred to
as precedents.
"It will be through graded processes such as this that the great end
will be accomplished. Beginning with such annotated reports as a basis
for precedents, each new case tried before this tribunal will add a
further precedent, and presently a complete international code will be
in existence. It was in this way that the English common law was built,
and such has been the admirable history of the work done by our own
judicial system.
"The study of such problems is at this time infinitely more important
than the consideration of how large a fine shall be inflicted by the
victors upon the vanquished."
The Chief Result.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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