Towards an enduring peace : $b A symposium of peace proposals and programs 1914-1916
History
Towards an enduring peace : $b A symposium of peace proposals and programs 1914-1916
Peace; World War, 1914-1918 -- Peace
The first suggestion under the principles thus outlined is that there
be established a world consular staff, to assume some at least of the
functions of the present national consular services. The first duty
undertaken by a world consular service would be to systematize, for
the benefit of business the world over, such investigations as are now
carried on in a somewhat haphazard way by each national consular service.
By centralization, much duplication of effort would be eliminated and a
much more comprehensive plan of investigation carried out. The results,
as now, would be available for all business men of all nationalities.
From the beginning, so far as possible, the chief executives of such a
consular staff should be elected by the people of each nation, rather
than appointed by governments—the purpose of this being to create in each
voter the world over, some sense of participation in a world-undertaking,
and to some extent a sympathy with other voters the world over. The
cost both of the consular service and of the election of the executive
officers of the service should be met, not by appropriations from
national governments, but by a fixed percentage of the revenues of each
nation. The usefulness of the service itself to all the people of the
world would be, eventually, the guarantee that the contribution of this
percentage would be maintained. Proposed changes in the percentage would
ultimately have to be submitted to the voters of all peoples.
[Sidenote: A world consular service.]
The suggestion as thus outlined is an ideal not likely to be soon
realized, but it is possible that some beginning toward a world consular
service could be provided for by the peace treaty to be signed at the
close of the present war. Such a beginning might well be a provisional
world-chamber of commerce, organized on the basis of constituent national
chambers, the character and organization of which should be provided
for in the treaty. The subject will hardly receive notice during the
peace negotiations, however, unless, as the result of previous publicity
and discussion, the possibilities of world organization latent in the
proposition are fully realized.
[Sidenote: World-bureaus for conservation and human betterment.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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