The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-29

st. Petersburg, Aug. 2S.-By order of
Emperor Nicholas, Count Maravieff, the
foreign minister on the 22nd handed a
mote TO the foreign diplomats at st. Peters
burg, declaring that the maintenance of
peace and the reduction of the excessive
ornaments now crushing all nations is the
ideal for which all governments ought to
strive.
The ear considers the present moment
favorable for the Inauguration of a move
ment looking to this end and invites the
powers to take part in an international
conference as a means of thus insuring
real and lasting peace and terminating the
progressive increase OF armament.
London, Aug. 2S.--The cars proposition
for an International conference for the
purpose of obtaining real and lasting
peace among the powers and the terminal
ton of the progressive increase in arma-
ment. as conveyed in note from Count
Muravief, the Russian foreign minister,
10 the foreign diplomats at st. Peters
DurS, is likely TO produce a sensation
| throughout Europe, and coming from such
| a quarter and with such sincerity of pur-
fects.
There is no doubt that with Russia TAX
| ing the lead in such a step, Germany
France and the other nations Will be
ready TO follow.
TEXT OF THE NOTE.
The text of the note follows: THE main
| tenance of general peace and the possible
reduction of the excessive ornaments
which weigh upon all nations present
/ themselves in existing conditions to the
| Whole world as an IDEAL toward which the
| endeavorS of all governments should be
| directed. The humanitarian and mag
| unanimous ideas of his majesty, the en-
| perOr. my august master, have been won
! over TO these views 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
l means.
! international discussion is the most
effectua. means OF ensuring all peO-
] pie 5 beneft-a real, durable peace-abOve
| all, putting an end 10 the progressive de-
| VelOpment of the present ornaments.
! In the course OF the last 70 years the
! longing for general peace movement has
| grown and is especially pronounced in the
| cOnScienceS OF civilized nations; ana the
/ preservation of peace has been put for
ward as an object of international policy.
| II IS N Its name tnat great states nave
concluded among themselves powerful al
| lances. 1t is the better to guarantee
| peace that they have developed IN proper
! tons hitherto unprecedented their mi itary
| forces and still continue TO increase them,
without shrinking from any sacrifice.
Nevertheless, all these efforts have not
yet BEN able 10 bring about the bene-
ficent result desired, pacihcatiOn.
INTERSTATE BURDENS.
1.-THE financial charges following the up
ward march strike at the very root of
public prosperity. The intellectual and
! physical strength of the nations labor
and capital are mostly diverted from
their natural application and are unpro-
ductiVely consumed. Hundreds of millions
are devoted to acquiring terrible engines
of destruction, which, though today re-
garded as the last work OF science. are
destined tomorrow to lose all their value
in consequence of some fresh discovery
in the same field. National culture,
| economic progress and the production of
wealth are either paralyZed or checked
in development. Moreover, in proportion
as the ornaments of each power increase,
the less and less they fulfill the object
the governments have set before them
selves.
The economic crisis. due in great part
to the system of ornaments, L Outrance'
and the continual danger which lies in
this maSSing of war material, are trans
forming the armed peace OF our days
into a crushing burden which the peo-
pies have more and more difficulty in
bearing
1T appears evident that if this state
of things were TO be prolonged it would
inevitably lead to the very cataclism it
is desired to avert and the horrors which
make every thinking being shudder 1T in
advance.
ornaments and to seek the means of
warding off the calamities which are
threatening the whole wOrld-such is the
supreme duty today imposed on all states
FILLED with this idea mis- majesty has
been pleased TO command me to propose
to all the governments whose representa-
tives are accredited to the imperial court,
the assembling of a conference which
shall occupy itself with this grave
problem.
of God, the happy presage for the century
which is about to open. 1t 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 elements of trouble and
discord. and il would at the same time.
cement their agreement by a corporate
concentration of the principles of justice
and right wherein rest the security of
states and the welfare of peoples"
UNDERSTANDING WITH GER
MANY.
The Times correspondent in ST. Pc
tersburg says: The proposal for a
conference which Was made by the
car Wednesday through the medium
of the foreign ambassadors at St. Pc
tersburg, has been kept profoundly Sc
cret until today, at the express wish
of Count MuTavieff the foreign minis
ter so that it might be first promul-
gated on the day of the unveiling OF
the monument in the Kremlin to Alex
ander H.
formed the object of communication
between the courts of St. Petersburg
and Berlin some time previously, and
in all probability the support of Ger
many, at least. was secured in advance.
Russia, with her chronic famines
and her large enterprises in the far
east to provide for out of budget
which is being drawn upon more and
more each year for materials of war
in order to keep pace with the other
powers. must naturally feel the want
of international co-operatioR in her
present policy of peace and in econom-
ical developments.
PRESS COMMENTS.
The Daily Graphic this morning. re-
ferring to the proposal of Emperor
Nicholas, says: 1T would be idle to
attempt to ignore the many and grave
difficulties standing in the way of the
attainment of the cars wishes; but