UNION LECTURE BY SCOTT

Hon. James B. Scott '90, solicitor for the State Department, lectured before the members of the Union last night on "The Factors that Make for Peace."

Mr. Scott began by saying that the forces that are making towards peace are many and well organized. The independence of nations has made them strong, and their equality follows from this independence. Independence in its execution leads to dependence on others, and so to interdependence. Consequently when war breaks out, the neutral nations suffer with the guilty; there is a state of confusion, and trade is paralyzed. Hence the non-combatants will try to make peace between the belligerents if only from a selfish motive.

Commercial relations bind nations together and do much to preserve peace. Other factors are mutual sympathy among nations and a good understanding of one another, for there is no war so serious that it cannot be amicably settled if both parties so wish it. International arbitration is another strong factor making for peace. Many peace societies sprang up in the United States during the first part of the last century, and were the natural precursors of the Hague Peace Conferences. Many international conferences, meeting for other purposes, have led to strong unions. These are drawing the nations closer together, and forming bonds that are going to bind them in permanent peace.

The importance of constitutional representative government cannot be, over-looked, for where the people decide whether there shall be war or not, they hesitate to incur one of which they will have to bear the burdens. In addition to this we have a growing sense of the uselessness of war.

Finally there is a growing sentiment in favor of arbitration and the judicial settlement of disputes. It is not the dream of the few, but the positive need of men and nations that we have a court of international arbitration where quarries and all other differences among nations may be finally settled. Undoubtedly we shall have such a court in the near future.