August 20, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



237 



lated, in aecordanee with the country's 

 adopted policy, by thoroughly trained and 

 widely experienced students of economics; 

 by a permanent commission, if you please, 

 composed of the ablest economists that love 

 of country and very high salaries will 

 secure. These facts are recognized in many 

 other countries, but not so by our governing 

 forces. This is not a plea for high tariffs, 

 or for low tariffs, or for moderate tariifs; 

 it is a plea for reasonable stability of tariff 

 schedules, and for a scientific treatment of 

 the subject. 



It would seem that the greatest need of 

 the times is in the science of international 

 relationships, to the end that truth and rea- 

 son may replace deception and brute force. 

 The word diplomacy should be rescued 

 from the dictionary definition, "artful 

 management with the view of securing ad- 

 vantages. " The diplomat who seeks the 

 advantage of his country at the expense of 

 another is proceeding on immoral and un- 

 scientific lines, and the chances are strong 

 that he is not a benefactor of the human 

 race. He is liable to set in action forces of 

 antagonism which were better not aroused. 

 International settlements which are com- 

 pelled by victorious war, or by the threat of 

 a great army or a great navy in the back- 

 ground, settlements which do not take ac- 

 count of mutual interests, settlements which 

 neglect the relations of causes and effects, 

 are apt not to be settlements at all. They 

 generally lead to unhappiness, retrogres- 

 sion and violence. It is a fearful comment 

 upon diplomacy that Europe has had wars 

 nine years out of ten since the beginnings 

 of historical records. 



It ought to be clear to historians that the 

 forcible bringing into one country of a 

 province, forcibly taken from an adjoining 

 country, which speaks a different language 

 and possesses different temperament and 

 ideals, is in general a grievous mistake. It 



is usually a misfortune for both countries, 

 especially if the two countries are of ap- 

 proximately the same degree of civilization. 

 The repression of native language and cus- 

 toms, and the constant presence of alien 

 governors, produce reactions which are as 

 natural as the falling of an apple from the 

 tree to the ground. If the economist is in- 

 terested in balancing the finances of such 

 a case he will seldom have difficulty in 

 proving that the cost of holding the prov- 

 ince for the conqueror is greater than the 

 province is worth ; and the cost of planning 

 to get the province back is greater than the 

 province is worth. The issues between the 

 two countries are not settled by the process ; 

 they are left more unsettled than ever ; and 

 eventually the whole world may have to 

 pay the cost of the false solution. It can 

 not be pretended that wars in general settle 

 international questions either justly or per- 

 manently; they merely repress certain 

 forces until natural developments cause 

 these forces to break out anew. A mistaken 

 sense of national honor, usually combined 

 with national selfishness, leads to settle- 

 ments which are merely temporary. Settle- 

 ments along scientific lines, settlements 

 which consider cause and effect in the dec- 

 ades that are to follow, are so rare as to be 

 negligible. There is scarcely any hope that 

 the present inexcusable war will settle the 

 differences between the nations, if the final 

 adjustments are left to the professional 

 diplomats of Europe. Some difficulties may 

 be threshed out, but a new crop of diffi- 

 culties will almost certainly be sown for a 

 later generation to reap. It is an infinite 

 pity that the plain lessons of history are so 

 often forgetten in moments of international 

 passion. 



I should not like to have it thought that 

 this is a plea for peace at any cost. I am 

 speaking of war in general; there are ex- 

 ceptions when not to fight would be more 



