The age-herald., 1898-08-30
GEAR NICHOLASR0R
 UNIVERSAL PEACE

handed to the foreign diplomats at St. Petersburg note declaring that the main- tenace of peace and the reduction of the excessive ornaments now crushing all na- tions is the ideal for which governments ought to strive.
 The czar considers the present moment favorable for the inauguration of move ment looking to this end, and invites the powers to take part in an international cone ference as a means of thus insuring real and lasting peace and terminating the pros gressve increase of armament.
 The text of the note follows:
 The maintenance of general peace and the possible reduction of the excessive armaments which weigh upon all nations present themselves in existing conditions to the whole world as an ideal towards which the endeavors of all governments should be directed.
 The humanitarian and magnanmous ideas of his majesty, the emperor, my au- gust master, have been won over to this view in the conviction that this lofty aim is in conformity with the most essential interests and legitimate views of all the powers, and the imperial government thinks the present moment would be very favorable to seeking the means.
 international discussion is the most eff. fectual means of insuring all peoples bene- ht-a real, durable peace, above all, putt ting an end to the progressive develop- ments of the present armaments.
 Tn the course of the last twenty years the longing for general peace has grown especially pronounced in the conscience of civilized nations, and the preservation of peace has been put forward as an object or international policy. It is in it's name that great states have concluded among themselves powerful alliances.
 It Is better to guarantee peace that they nave developed in proportions hitherto un- precedented their military forces and still continue to increase them, without shrink age from any sacrifice.
 nevertheless, all these efforts have not yet been able to bring about the beneficent result desired pacification.
 The financial changes following the up- ward march strike at the very root of pub. lie prosperity. The intellectual and physi- cal strength of the nations labor and capi- tai are mostly diverted from their natural application and are unproductively con- sumed. Hundreds of millions are devoted to acquiring terrible engines of destruc- ton, which, though today regarded as the ~~'e "ohh oA oCiSiCe, are destined tomorrow 10 lose all their value in conseuuence of some fresh discovery in the same field National culture, economic progress and the production of wealth are either nara lyzed or checked in development More over Tn proportion as the armaments of eacn power increases, they less and less fulfill the object the governments have sci before themselves,
 The economic crisis, due in great part 10 the system of armaments, and the continual danger which lies in this mass ing of war material are transforming tbe armed peace of our days into a crushing burden which the people have more and more difficulty in bearing.
 It appears evident that if this state of things were to be prolonged it would inevi. taply lead to the very cataclysm 1t is de- sled to avert, and the horrors whereof make everything being shudder in advance. vance.
 ITO put an end to these incessant arma- ments and to see the means of warding off the calamities which are threatening the whole world, such is the supreme duty today imposed upon all states.
 Filled with this idea, his majesty has been pleased to command me to propose to all the governments whose representatives, are accredited to the imperial court the assembling of a conference which shall occupy Itself with this grave problem.
 .This conference will be. by the help of God, happy presage for the century which Is about to open. It would con- verge into one powerful focus the efforts of all states sincerely seeking to make the great conception of universal peace triumph over the enemies of trouble and discord and 1t would at the same time cement their agreement by a corporate consecration of the principles of equity of state and the welfare of peoples"
 Washington, August 29-The extraor- dinary circular note directed by the Rus- sian foreign minister to the members of the diplomatic body at St. Petersburg has attracted the earnest attention of the of- ficals here. It is supposed from the terms of the note, as published. that copy was directed to MT. Hitchcock, the United States ambassador at the Russian capital. but so far nothing has been heard by cable from him to that effect
 It is believed here that the victory achieved by the United States in the late war was a contributing factor in the preparation of the note. It is surmised that that victory made 1t clear at once to the European statesmen that to maintain the balance of power they would be obliged to redouble their expenditures on account of the army and navy else they might be outstripped by the United States.
 The official mind here looks upon the Russian project for a general dsarma- ment as utopian at this time and while any statement as to the attitude of the United States towards such a conference as that proposed is purely conjectural in advance of the receipt of the invitation, the impression prevails that our govern ment would not care to take any active part in its deliberations.
 London, August 29-The czars proposi- tion for an international conference for the purpose of securing real and lasting peace among the powers and the termination of the progressive increase in armaments, as conveyed in note from Count Muravieff, the Russian foreign minister, to the for- eign diplomats at St. Petersburg, is likely to produce a sensation throughout Europe, and coming from such a quarter and with such evident sincerity of purpose, 1t is like- ly to have important effects.
 There is no doubt that, with Russia talk ing the lead in such a step, Germany, France and other nations will be ready to follow.
 ALGER GRANTS A FURLOUGH Camp Wikoff Letter to New York Tribune.
 As the general passed through the wards y,a stoppad to chat with the men as he did