166 SPEC[AL PROYIDENCEInternationalRedCrossandtheGenevaConvention,andultimatelyto
suchmeasuresascontemporarytreatiestobanlandmines,topreventthe
enlistmentofchildrenyoungerthansixteeninmilitaryforces, andto
establishaninternationalcriminalcourt.Thethirdbranchofthemodern
peacemovementseekstopreventwarbydevelopingalternativestoit:
forumstowhichnationscantakedisputesinsteadoffightingitout,and
internationalorganizationsforcollectivesecurity.Thisthirdapproach
ledtothedevelopment,first,ofbilateralarbitrationtreatiesand,later,to
theLeagueofNations,theWorldCourtandtheUnitedNations.
TheoriginalleadershipinthesepeacemovementswasEuropean,but
AmericanWilsoniansparticipatedearlyonandsought,oftensuccess-
fully,togetU.S.governmentsupportfortheseventures.Aftera national
grassrootscampaignspearheadedbyCivilWarheroineClaraBarton,
PresidentChesterA. ArthurbroughttheUnitedStatesintotheRed
Crosssystemin1881,andwithhissupportCongressratifiedtheGeneva
Conventionin1882.AstheUnitedStatesmovedtothecenterofthe
worldstage,Wilsonianssought,andstillseek,toputthegrowingmus-
cleoftheUnitedStatesbehindtheworldpeacemovement.Wherethey
can,WilsonianswanttheUnitedStatestotaketheleadinthismove-
ment;whentheUnitedStateslags,whenitfailstosignthelandmine
treatyorfallsbehindinitsUNdues,Wilsonianstakeonthemselvesthe
taskofbringingtheUnitedStatesintocompliancewithwhattheyhope
willdevelopintoa genuinelyWilsonianinternationalorder.
TheConsequencesofWilsonianPolitics
Judgingfromthelowesteeminwhichsomeobserversholdit,one
mightthinkthatWilsonianismisa majordragonAmericanforeign
policy.Whilethereareproblems,andwewillexaminethem,itis impor-
tanttounderstandthemanywaysinwhichthepresenceofWilsonian
tendenciesinAmericanforeignpolicyprovidesgreatbenefits.
Thefirstgreatbenefithas nothingdirectlytodowithourforeign
policybuthasneverthelessbeenofenormousvalueinthatarea.Despite
Wilson'sownsorryrecordonrace,theWilsonianideathattheAmeri-
canRevolutionisincomplete,thattheUnitedStateshasadutytofight
untiltheequalrightsofallareacknowledgedandrespectedhashad
majorconsequencesinAmericanhistory.Inparticularithasprovided
an ideological and moral bridge that allows minorities, immigrant
groups, andotherstofeela strongpatriotismandloyaltytoa country