Through the plans as a whole run these dominant currents: That, if war is honestly to be prevented, there must be a right-about-face on the part of the nations in their attitude toward it; and that by some progressive agreement the manufacture and purchase of the munitions of war must be limited or stopped. That while no political mechanism alone will insure cooperation among the nations, there must be some machinery of cooperation if the will to cooperate is to be made effective; that mutual counsel among the nations is the real hope for bringing about the disavowal of war by the open avowal of its real causes and open discussion of them. Finally, that there must be some means of defining, recording, interpreting and developing the law of nations. The Jury of Award unanimously selected the plan given below as the one which most closely reflected several of these currents. The Honorable Elihu Root, chairman of the Jury of Award, then prepared the following forward-looking statement indicating that the mutual counsel and cooperation among the nations provided in the selected plan may lead to the realization of another-and not the least important of the dominant desires of the American public as expressed in the plans: "It is the unanimous hope of the Jury that the first fruit of the mutual counsel and cooperation among the nations which will result from the adoption of the plan selected will be a general prohibition of the manufacture and sale of all materials of war." The purpose of the American Peace Award is thus fulfilled: To reflect in a practicable plan the dominating national sentiment as expressed by the large cross-section of the American public taking part in the Award. I therefore commend the winning plan as unanimously selected by the Jury of Award, and Mr. Root's statement of the first object to be attained by the counsel and cooperation provided in the plan, to the interest and the widest possible vote of the American people. EDWARD W. Bok January, 1924 STATEMENT OF JURY OF AWARD The Jury of Award realizes that there is no one approach to world peace, and that it is necessary to recognize not merely political but also psychological and economic factors. The only possible pathway to international agreement with reference to these complicated and difficult factors is through mutual counsel and cooperation, which the plan selected contemplates. It is therefore the unanimous opinion of the Jury that of the 22,165 plans submitted, Plan Number 1469 is "the best practicable plan by which the United States may cooperate with other nations to achieve and preserve the peace of the world." It is the unanimous hope of the Jury that the first fruit of the mutual counsel and cooperation among the nations which will result from the adoption of the plan selected will be a general prohibition of the manufacture and sale of all materials of war. ELIHU ROOT, Chairman ELLEN FITZ PENDLETON ROSCOE POUND WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE STATEMENT OF POLICY COMMITTEE The substantial provisions which constitute plan Number 1469, selected by the Jury of Award, and upon which the vote of the American people is asked, are hereby submitted as follows: I. ENTER THE Permanent Court That the United States adhere to the Permanent Court of International Justice for the reasons and under the conditions stated by Secretary Hughes and President Harding in February, 1923. II. COOPERATE WITH THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS WITHOUT FULL MEMBERship at PreseNT That, without becoming a member of the League of Nations as at present constituted, the United States Government should extend its present cooperation with the League and propose participation in the work of its Assembly and Council under the following conditions and reservations: Safeguarding of Monroe Doctrine 1. The United States accepts the League of Nations as an instrument of mutual counsel, but it will assume no obligation to interfere with political questions of policy or internal administration of any foreign state. In uniting its efforts with those of other States for the preservation of peace and the promotion of the common welfare, the United States insists upon the safeguarding of the Monroe Doctrine and does not abandon its traditional attitude concerning American independence of the Old World and does not consent to submit its long-established policy concerning questions regarded by it as purely American to the recommendation or decision of other Powers. No Military or Economic Force 2. That the only kind of compulsion which nations can freely engage to apply to each other in the name of peace is that which arises from conference, from moral judgment, from full publicity, and from the power of public opinion. The United States will assume no obligations under Article X in its present form, or under Article XVI in its present form in the Covenant, or in its amended form as now proposed unless in any particular case Congress has authorized such action. The United States proposes that Articles X and XVI be either dropped altogether or so amended and changed as to eliminate any suggestion of a general agreement to use coercion for obtaining conformity to the pledges of the Covenant. No Obligations Under Versailles Treaty 3. That the United States will accept no responsibilities under the Treaty of Versailles unless in any particular case Congress has authorized such action. League Open to All Nations 4. The United States Government proposes that Article I of the Covenant be construed and applied, or, if necessary, redrafted, so that admission to the League shall be assured to any self-governing State that wishes to join and that receives the favorable vote of two-thirds of the Assembly. Development of International Law 5. As a condition of its participation in the work and counsels of the League, the United States asks that the Assembly and Council consent or obtain authority—to begin collaboration for the revision and development of international law, employing for this purpose the aid of a commission of jurists. This Commission would be directed to formulate anew existing rules of the law of nations, to reconcile divergent opinions, to consider points hitherto inadequately provided for but vital to the maintenance of international justice, and in general to define the social rights and duties of States. The recommendations of the Commission would be presented from time to time, in proper form for consideration, to the Assembly as to a recommending if not a lawmaking body. The program set forth above is hereby referred to the vote of the American people. A ballot upon which voters may state whether or not they approve the plan in substance may be obtained from the American Peace Award, 342 Madison Avenue, New York City. AUTHOR'S NAME Not to be Revealed UNTIL AFTER REFERENDUM In order that the vote may be taken solely upon the merits of the plan, the Policy Committee, with the acquiescence of Mr. Bok, has decided not to disclose the authorship of the plan until after the referendum, or early in February. The identity of the author is unknown to the members of the Jury of Award and the Policy Committee, except one delegated member. The Policy Committee LEARNED HAND WILLIAM H. JOHNSTON ESTHER EVERETT LAPE, Member in Charge NATHAN L. MILLER Mrs. GIFFORD PINCHOT Mrs. OGDEN REID Mrs. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT HENRY L. STIMSON MELVILLE E. STONE Mrs. FRANK A. VANDERLIP CORNELIUS N. BLISS, JR., Treasurer |