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
