The Pact of Paris (1928) and the Relationship of the United States to the World Community

The development of a community of nations solemnly binding themselves to settle their disputes by pacific means is necessarily a slow and painful process.  Some times the moral light of the Pact of Paris seems to grow dim, but I have faith that in the end the principles represented by that treaty will prevail. 

But this much we know - over 50 nations representing practically the entire population of the world regard war not only as a moral issue but as an economic catastrophe, and its elimination the supreme task of their generation. 

It is inevitable that this be so.  Each generation seems to have its tasks of human advancement.  Each generation that is worth while penetrates a new frontier of human advancement.  Our world, shrunk by means of travel and communication to a very small area, can go no farther in this development until the scourge of war has been eliminated.  All efforts of human betterment are held in abeyance until our generation can answer the question: "Can war be finally eliminated and the habit of peace be the means for the settlement of disputes?"

Despite all of the dangers of the hour, I believe that in the last 15 years, through the Pact of Paris, the League of Nations Covenant, the various systems of arbitration and conciliation and the education of the people, the world has made more progress in the elimination of war than in all the previous centuries.