4773 ^^ INTERNATIONAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL LAW 1 79 



four point summarization of February ii, 191 8. The reply 

 of the Republican German Government to the first Peace 

 Treaty draft states that " in this war, a new fundamental 

 law has arisen which the statesmen of all belligerent peoples 

 have again and again acknowledged to be their aim : the right 

 of self-determination. To make it possible for all nations 

 to put this privilege into practice was intended to be one 

 achievement of the war."^* In the case of the proposed 

 return of Northern Schleswig, the German reply reminds 

 the Allies that the German Government had, independent of 

 outside pressure, approached Denmark in the question of 

 a rectification of their boundary. The reference reads : 



Although the German Government has declared its readiness to 

 meet the Danish wishes for a new frontier corresponding to the 

 principle of nationality, using the peace negotiations as a roundabout 

 means of establishing it, it cannot refrain from referring to the 

 fact that the Schleswig question is not expressly mentioned in Presi- 

 dent Wilson's points. If Germany agrees to a plebiscite in Schles- 

 wig, she does this because she recognizes the right of self-determi- 

 nation of the peoples.25 



What then has happened since 1867 or 1898? Have the 

 Hague Conferences brought about such a fundamental 

 change in the sentiment of the representatives of the great 

 nations who are the makers of international law ? Hardly ! 

 At the Hague the subject was not even officially discussed. 

 Have national and international peace and pacifist societies 

 prepared the ground? Among individuals, possibly, but not 

 among governments ! 



It must be left to the future historian and student of in- 

 ternational law to inquire into the manifold and innermost 

 reasons for their present change of front. The present 

 observer can only record the facts as presented. 



President Wilson's attitude and proposed method of set- 

 tlement of territorial changes were, of course, those of the 

 official representative of the United States. While they 

 had to be accepted by friend and foe, they did. after all, 

 lack that final stamp of the country's approval which the 



" First part, II, 5. 

 " Second part, 11,8. 



