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FOURTH OF JULY SPIRIT SPREADS

NEVER was there such a celebra

tion of the Fourth of July as this year, 1918.

The President's message was sent in advance to capitals and news centers of the world for as universal a hearing as possible. Elsewhere in this magazine will be found the interesting record of communications which led to the wonderful loyalty demonstrations by citizens of foreign origin throughout the United States. In the simple pilgrimage to Washington's tomb at Mount Vernon representatives of thirty-three foreignborn varieties of American citizens took part and the foreign Diplomatic Corps was a part of the President's immediate audience. Thousands upon thousands of men and women of all these nationalities paraded the streets of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and other cities, carrying many racial emblems and loyalty banners always with the stars and stripes over all. Such a spontaneous pageant of composite American patriotism could not fail to suggest prophetically to marchers and observers alike the birth of a new order of international freedom.

A "splash" of 112 ships-95 carrying ships and 17 destroyers-was the Fourth of July record of launchings in the U. S. A. Secretary Daniels said this tonnage added more in a day than the tonnage of all nations sunk by German U-boats in the last month of record. Secretary Baker reported to the President on the eve of the celebration that more than 1,000,000 American troops had been

sent abroad in fourteen months since the declaration of war. The loss of less than 300 testifies of the achievement in team play of Army and Navy. And munitions and equipment are keeping up with the men. Other evidences of will and work to win the war piled up as a background for serious Independence Day enthusi

asm.

Among the speakers of note in many places the Japanese Ambassador, Viscount Ishii, said at Fairhaven, Massachusetts (he presented a sword to the town from a Japanese whose father had been befriended by a Fairhaven whaling master), "We trust you-we love you, and if you will let us, we will walk at your side in loyal good-fellowship down all the coming years."

Uruguay, Brazil and Cuba officially declared the Fourth a national holiday and other Latin American countries made much of celebrations. France voted the day an official holiday, conducted the ceremony of naming a street for President Wilson, reviewed American troops, arranged for school celebrations throughout the provinces. Features of celebration in London were a fellowship mass meeting with distinguished speakers, Viscount Bryce presiding, and an American Army and Navy base-ball game, formally but informally opened by King George. Florence, among Italian towns celebrating the day, granted town citizenship to President Wilson, with an exchange of cordial messages. Even so incomplete a recapitulation reveals the unexpectedly

contagious and significant spread of the Fourth of July spirit abroad as association intensifies in the grim war against the German menace to human liberty.

Cabled greetings came to the White House from Mr. Balfour, British Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Governor General of Australia, King Emmanuel of Italy, King Albert of Belgium and many others. Premier Orlando of Italy declares that "the American people were born to liberty, but for them liberty includes justice for themselves and others." President Poincare said of the new French holiday: "Two peoples in communion of thought will, one and all, remember the fights of

The treaty of general arbitration between the U. S. and Great Britain has been extended for five years by Senate ratification, June 24.

From insular and foreign chapters the American Red Cross reports contributions of more than $1,400,000 in the second drive compared to expectations of only $300,000. From China came more than $100,000, and in addition 50,000 Chinese became associate members. Japan so far has contributed more than $60,000. Contributions reported from other distant chapters include Hawaiian Islands, $677,000; Havana, in excess - of $100,000; Porto Rico, $100,000; Dominican Republic, $70,000; Argentina, $70,000; Brazil, $40,000; Canal Zone, $30,000; Chili, $27,000; Guam, $5,800; Hayti, $2,500; Honduras, $2,000; Mexico, $40,000; Nicara

old that won liberty for America, and hope for the forthcoming victories which will secure for the world a just and fruitful peace based on the law of nations and fortified by the approval of human conscience." Premier Lloyd George's message to General Pershing read:

"We join with our whole heart in your Fourth of July celebrations. Once a bitter memory, we now know that the events to which you dedicate these rejoicings forced the British Empire back to the path of freedom, from which in a moment of evil counsel it departed.

"The entry of the United States Army into this great struggle for human liberty side by side with the Allies is sure proof that the mistakes and misunderstandings which formerly estranged our two countries are being transformed into a genuine friendship in the fiery furnace of common sacrifice.'

gua, $1,000; Peru, $15,000; and Spain, $5,000.

"America must have a working army. Every girl, as well as every boy, should be a conscript to public service. A year of each young life should be given to public works. This will incidentally inculcate a sound patriotism harmonious with universal, as well as national, well-being. It will take care of the surplus labor that makes a fringe of poverty choking the life of each community. It will furnish an opportunity for vocational training in which young people can experiment in life and the nation select its soldiers, engineers, nurses, and social workers. No man shall be set aside primarily for murder. The army shall be a working army, not a standing army."Charles Zueblin.

THE WORLD'S COURT LEAGUE

Favors a League among Nations to secure

1. An International Court of Justice established by a world conference and sustained by public opinion.

2. An International Council of Conciliation.

8. A World Conference meeting regularly to support the Court and Council, and to interpret and expand International Law.

4. A Permanent Continuation Committee of the World Conference.

The World's Court League in Relation to the Policy of Reconstruction*

By SAMUEL T. DUTTON

Emeritus Professor of Teachers College, Columbia University; General Secretary of the World's Court League.

TH

HE founders of the World's Court League believe that there can be no permanent peace without adjudication. They saw that civilization had progressed according as states and communities have made it possible to have all kinds of disputes and difficulties settled in courts of justice. The judicial system of every nation is the strong bulwark of its freedom and progress. The United States Supreme Court, serving as it does as the ultimate voice for fortyeight federated states, is a remarkable example of high attainment in the field of human security and stability.

It was with this great example before their eyes, and with a vision of the future federation of the world, that the World's Court League was organized and has endeavored to interest the publicists of the world in the great opportunity of establishing a world court to which all nations can go for the settlement of international disputes.

This is no new idea, neither is there any new enterprise projected. Two Hague conferences laid the foundations for a new world order and forty-three nations voted for an international court at the second conference. It is for the continu

Paper contributed to the National Institute of Social Sciences.

ance of this plan of world conferences and for the establishment of some means of judicial settlement that the League is working. This move has the endorsement of leading men in all countries and there are few who oppose it, although some are still lacking in faith that so great a project can be achieved.

During the two years of the League's existence it has published a magazine known as the WORLD COURT, and has conducted correspondence with the leaders of international thought in this and other countries. There has also been organized an international council made up of men selected from practically all nations except the central empires.

An American advisory board includes many statesmen and publicists in this country. It is expected that when the opportunity arises for pushing forward the establishment of a court these men will contribute their influence and their exertions to that end.

While the setting up of machinery for the dispensation of justice is the chief aim of the League, it also seeks to extend and develop the present Hague Tribunal so that all nations may soon become accustomed to the idea of arbitrating such difficulties as do not need to be brought before a court of justice. Provision is also

made for an International Council of Conciliation, or Commission of Enquiry, for hearing, consideration and recommendation, so that non-justiciable questions may be examined and reported upon before any hostile act is committed. The League approves most heartily those treaties made by President Wilson with other nations providing for delay and inquiry in case any trouble arises.

Again, while the officers of the League have not thought it best to take formal action on any of the many problems which have been raised by the war, they are committed without reserve to the support of our national government in its determination to overcome German militarism and to make the world

"safe for democracy." They have carefully watched the progress of affairs and have tried to interpret the great changes brought about by the war so that the leaders of thought in other countries may get an important and just idea of the attitude and purpose of America. The League

believes that the world's freedom is

at stake and that every intelligent and sincere person, no matter where he dwells, should lend his aid in making sure that neither the forces of oppression nor those of anarchy are widely extended, but rather that true. democracy, which is based, not only upon sound politics but real humanitarianism, may be established.

All

this is in accord with the purpose for which the League exists. The war is bringing great changes. Capitalism, imperialism and militarism are going to be bereft of much of their power

and to a considerable extent are to yield to those forces which make for equality, liberty and human welfare.

The World's Court League is also keenly alive to the great work of reconstruction which will be necessary as soon as the war is over. There

will be, of course, diplomatic and political phases of this process of rebuilding which cannot be ignored or minimized. It is important, as President Wilson has indicated, that a peace conference be made up not merely of politicians and diplomats of the ancient types, but that the great parliamentary bodies of the world have a voice in selecting delegates, so that those actions may be taken which are good not merely for those favored by wealth and position but for the workers in every field, the quiet toilers who can only make themselves felt by appointing worthy persons to represent them. If a peace conference is thus a democratic assembly, representative of all human interests, there is hope that problems of the realignment of nations and the self-determination of peoples will receive conscientious and honest consideration. It is also hoped and expected that the nations may see the folly and wickedness of maintaining great armies and navies, and will unite in gradually reducing these to a mere fraction of what they now are. This will be entirely consistent with the plan to settle international disputes through arbitration and adjudication rather than by war. The League sees with gratification that statesmen the world over are coming to this position. They are not going

to be satisfied with any patch-work, or any plan of enforcing peace which does not really accomplish the end in view. They are not going to assume that public opinion, public honor and public will are not potentially the greatest forces in the world for moral betterment and for political security. The World's Court League rejoiced to see a gradual solidifying of public sentiment in favor of a League of Nations constructed on the broadest principles of justice, economic freedom and human operation.

But the work of reconstruction will go far beyond the field of politics and diplomacy. It will demand the most generous and large-hearted efforts for the rehabilitation of devastated and suffering peoples that has ever been undertaken. Those nations like the United States which are pouring out their money for the prosecution of the war will necessarily have to make large appropriations for the up-building of Belgium, Serbia, Poland, Armenia, Syria, Roumania and other torn and shattered populations. The world has never seen a greater tragedy than the deportation of the Armenians from thousands of towns and villages to the desert portions of Asia Minor. America has undertaken a system of relief of these peoples who are refugees in the Caucasus and in Persia as well as the remnant populations now scattered throughout Southern Asia Minor. The writer had the honor and pleasure of beginning this work in the autumn of 1915 and believes that the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, which has

grown into a nation-wide organization, and is raising nearly one million dollars per month, will be able to tide over the Christian peoples of the Ottoman Empire until the great work of rehabilitation can be actually undertaken. This will mean not only the re-establishment of homes and industries, but a scheme of practical education enabling the people to become again self-supporting and productive. It will also mean the establishment of such protection by responsible nations as shall forever secure their immunity from the outrageous and cruel treatment they have suffered in recent years.

It is not intended here to affirm that the World's Court League has committed itself to all these great and important undertakings, but it can be said without any hesitation that the fundamental principle of human justice upon which the League is founded includes in its beneficent purpose every one of the after-war problems mentioned above. The policy of the World's Court League in refraining from committing itself to detailed methods of manipulating world politics is entirely justified, for since the war began great changes have taken place in the direction of nationalizing and unifying tendencies, and it is safe to predict that many of these conceptions of unity, cooperation and economy will be carried over into the international field, making a society of nations not only possible but essential, and paving the way for those great victories with which peace has ever been credited.

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