New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-29
and. finally duelline He thinks too. that there are
channes fnll Of nrnmise Tor the future.

dicate first that there is no fixed character apper
tanning to war which seems to promise ~ poiuia
nence superior TO that which might, at one une,
seem 10 nave attached To institutions now opsolo'g
aud dscredited and, secondly, that IN all ayes anu
states of society, the appetite for war, anu ,.o
methods OF conducting war, have reflected, VIII
considerable exactness the aggregate features nnu
tendencies OF the then existing CIVILIZATION, Inouen
the extraordinary energy which, at the preseno n"y
enrlches every field of exerton. awaiting itseI vi
the latest physical innovations and discoveries
seems to Impsrt TO war. among other Things. M ap
pearance OF MISUNDERSTANDING activity, Wnon ray
be wholly an hallucnaton, and III no way an auR"hy
of its longevity
public opinion opposed to war Is formed by the
diffusion Of education. creating popular interest III
social questions and suggesting the obvious evils ol
great military establishments; the diversion Oh
scientific and mechanical knowledge TO military pur-
poses; the waste of national wealth. and the oppo
sitiOn which is created to the schemes OF social re-
formers. It's pointed out that the horrors OF war
are revealed by newspaper correspondents. Mucn
has been effected by the current of philosophical
thought. Christianity has effected great modihca-
tons. There has been the pacific effect of inerna-
tional associations.
Mr. Amos. after subtle discussion of the whole
question of defective intern aIonal morality, takes
up that of standing armies. He admits that some
preparation for war Is inevitable. He thinks that
there is no problem which is pressing on the mlnds
of statesmen al the present day with more urgency
than how to maintain a sufficient amount OF prepa-
ration for war with the least sacrifice of the advan-
tages of peace He says of the enormous number
of men trained to IN Europe:
Inasmuch as the whsle military forces OF countries
Ike Germany. Austria, Italy and France. capable
of being called into action on an emergency ana
receiving military training fitted 10 qnaliy then
for service, little short of half million Tor eac
country. II Is obvious thar there are IN Europe III
time Of profound peace, several millions oil men, lno
whole q considerable par: OF whose profession IL
war. These men comprise the most robust lhe
most energetic and the best trained and disciplined
to be found III the several states, EngiandaIoh
presenting for The time an exception, so lolg -
military service here does not compete IN ATTRACTIONS
with other occupations. and recruiting is elected
chiefly from the lowest class OF the population.
In pointing Ont ne uncertainty Of international
law and the need for an international court, Mr.
Amos discusses several questions which are spa
cialy interesting to Americans. H. shows how in
the Trent" case. Involving the rights o; a neutral
to carry a bclligerens commissioner from one point
to another ami the duty Of bclligerent captor to
take neutral ship, winch lac held to be carrying
contraband to the nearest prize court for ud gmeut
instead Of removing the cOntraband and letting the
ship go free. there was no court of competent
jurisdiction before which both England and the
United States could appear rs suitors Had there
been one he does not think that any of the strong
feeling could have existed which nearly gave
rise to war. The same Is true Of the. alabama"
case OF that of the "NireiniuS,' OF the long con-
troversy about the Canadian fishery. His observa-
tions upon the Winslow extrIditon case are worth
quoting:
The Wnslow cxtradition case is rather emf
nent for the cOncIHatory manner IN when England
aud the United states conducted the controversy,
than for the absence of grounds Of mutual recriml
nation which between any TWO other States, even
between thOs States at different period or under
different circumstances, might have had disastrous
consequences. The English Government were under
stood, some quarters, TO uphold the anomalous
principle that they are not bound TO Obscrvea icaty
which Is of kind which an English statute no LONGER
permits the Government TO make, ana even though
the statute, by special clause, according To the
obvious Interpretation OF 1t. specially excerpts IIcd
ties already in existence from being directly or m
directly affected by the statute Such a view OF his
conduct the Foreign Secretary wholly repudlatcd,
and rested his position on a wholly dlver,e inter-
pre- alton of the Treaty. of Washington of 1912.
II question partly of law aud custom. and
partly OF the interpretation OF Treaties ana yet.
apart from the constitutions by common consent of
a special tribunal for the determination of all the
questions involved the judgment OF which In the
present case-as the prisoner Ninslow was dis-
charged-cOuld have retroactive effect, 10 formal
and regular provision existed for ever bringing the
matter to issue, and still less for deciding IT ex
peditIously as the difficulty presented itself
Certain causes of war, Mr.. Amos thinks, are be-
coming obsolete. We need no longer anticipate
wars of reigion wars in order to extort CONNER
cial privileges wars waved IN defence of colonies
or of the advantages of colonial trade; of dy-
nastc succession, or wars proceeding from nothing
else than chronic international hatred or jealousy.
In discussing the nature and possibility of polit
cal and other remedies for war, Mr. Amos assumes
that there no one civilized nation that loves war
for its sake, or which would not encounter
some sacrifice to keep it at a distance" Yet he
admits that there are many States, and many per-
sons in all States. to whom war seems by means
considerable evil, but rather as an instrument Of
justice.
The topics of Intervention and nOn-intervention
are fully discussed Ill this able volume The con-
clusion to which the author arrives is that only
needs " two or three leading States to be united on
the score Of mantannga general peace to make |
any other war than purely insurrectlonary one
almos, impossible" The points OF mediation and
arbitration suggest the desirability of permanent
tribunals. since permanence would impart some
credit for Indifference IN respect of any special |
matter submitted to them. There are other inter
estng chapters upon Treaties, the Equilibrium of
States the Naturalization of States IN War, as well |
as of artificial methods of communication like the
Suez Canal. The following has timely interest i'll |
view OF the latest project OF NJ. de Lesseps:
Theincidental advantages Decentralization where |
favorable conditions exist Tor IL, are very great |
This is plainly obvious IN the ease of inland seas |
navigabe rivers straits, and artificial canals. All
circumstances which favor uninterrupted locOmu- |
ton and international Intercourse, ana which pre-
vent the possibility of casual breaches in the
other through events no; capable Of being foeseen
distinctly tend 10 promote commerce, international
harmony, and permanent peace. circumstances OF
the reverse kind similarly promote and sustain wars
Conferences and Congresses Mr.. Amos regards as
tokens of growing political agreement. Under GER
tain conditions their usefulness seems almost limit
less though they may be made in dishonest, I'M
wise, or ambitious hands. g means of enforcing
the interests of few States number of Others
which ostcntatIously invited to cooperate, and
Are yet too weak to do more than protest"
The discussion of the subj ct of the exemption of
private property from maritime capture brings ont
the fact that England alone has perseveringly Of |
fered such exemption. while every considerable |