POLL PARROT

The Poll being conducted by Phillips Brooks House is admittedly intended mainly to stimulate thought on effective means for guaranteeing peace. It is especially unfortunate from this point of view that the poll ignores a possible situation which may well prove to be of decisive importance in international affairs--the case in which a group of nations takes up arms to enforce international law. There are probably a great many who would not be willing to pledge themselves to take part in any war in which the United States might become involved but who would at the same time be willing to fight in certain circumstances even though this country had not been attacked by a foreign power.

In the history of civil society within states it has proved quite impossible to avoid the constant use of force in dealing with violators of the law. There is little reason to suppose that it will be possible to deal with violators of international law without the threat or the use of force, presumably exercised by some form of international police. The difficulties in the way of organizing such a body, however, are so great that there is probably no chance of its creation within the next ten years. Further, it may be objected that an international police might be used in the interests of a few nations. But it should be remembered that, while the law of any state is equally open to abuse, no one proposes to do away with civil and criminal law, or with the police forces which stand back of the law. Similarly, there is no reason for opposing the enforcement of international law by arms merely because such enforcement might not always be completely in accord with absolute justice.

As some sort of legal system and some means for its enforcement are the only guarantees of order within states so the recognition of international law and the establishment of some means for enforcing it are the only means by which men can hope to gurantee order between states. The defense of international law is one of the most valid justifications for the use of armed force and it is unfortunate that the Brooks House Poll failed to provide for the expression of opinions concerning individual action in this contingency.