Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 22.pdf/573

 The Editor's Bag of a successful attempt to make such treaties the rule rather than the excep tion, and there is the same objection to making unconditional arbitration of all controversies a leading issue at this time which can be brought up

against a disarmament propaganda. Other problems must be faced and disposed of before that problem which depends on them for its solution can be attacked. Grave doubts, in fact, may be raised as to whether any scheme of inter national arbitration, under which an

545

Mr. Honda goes on to give concrete

illustrations.

He does not think, for

example, that there is any accepted criterion for adjusting racial relations between nations, such as those involved

in the questions of Japanese immigra tion and the school problem on the

Paciﬁc coast. Another problem which international arbitration must be pre pared to meet is that of prescriptive rights of nations in each other's terri tory. For example, if America and

the European powers obtained certain rights in Chinese territory, in conse

international tribunal is to be competent to pass upon all possible causes of

foreign inﬂuence from Manchuria, would

dispute between nations, is workable

international

until there is a complete system of law

China all that had been wrested from

quence of an attempt to expel all arbitration

restore

to

to be administered, holding the key to

her, or would prescriptive rights hold

every possible question, regardless of whether or not it be one of “the very rare cases where the nation's honor is

good with nations as well as with indi

vitally concerned,” to quote Mr. Roose

of such rights be determined? Mr. Honda has thus shown that interna

velt's Christiania address. This point has been very clearly brought out by a Japanese, Mr. Masujiro Honda, in the Editorial Review:— Rumors of impending or possible conﬂict between England and Germany on the one hand, and between America and Japan on the other, seem to have cast a dark shadow over the bright prospects of the noble cause of international arbitration and universal peace. On the other hand, these very dan gers, whether real or imaginary, should offer greater opportunity than ever before for demonstrating the potency of our proposed

viduals,

and

so,

how

should

the

tional law is not yet developed to that point at which a solution of the prob lems of vital interest and national

honor becomes possible.

The urgent

need, in fact, is not for more arbitra tion but for more law. Once we have

the law it will not be difficult to admin ister it.

The remedy which Mr. Honda sug— gests is a comprehensive codiﬁcation of international law by a committee of statesmen

ideals.

if

length of time necessary to the vesting

and

scholars.

There

are

I venture to think, therefore, that

international arbitration is not yet on a working basis of practical politics. Com petent and impartial judges may be appointed to constitute an Arbitration Court, and an international police force may be organized to enforce their decisions. But is there a code of international laws and morals suffi cient to cover all possible cases? Is there a general consensus of opinion on the standard by which claims of contending nations and races may be dealt with, without offending the sense of justice of any of the parties concerned?

some obvious difﬁculties in such a procedure. The weightiest of them is that the desired code cannot be created at one stroke, but must be a gradual evolution. At the same time, when ever a conference has met to formulate the rules of international law, though

people may have scoffed at the supposed lack of any binding authority in their handiwork, international law has grown by leaps and bounds. That fact was