The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-09-01
(PRBVBlF VARS
a,,rtling PROPOSAL From the
Car Of Russia.
URGES A CONFERENCE
. T);scuss the Need For Reduction
in Armament.
cossrANr MENACE TO PEACE.

!. c,,r's Note to the PowsB DselAsss
mt The Continual Danger Which Liss
/. r>is Hassiag II War Aatssiais Are
ru,sforming the Armed Psaes Of Oar
o.v Into Crushing Burden which the
,,s,,. Have More and More Difficulty In
Dssrng.
q, Petersburg. Aug. 2s.-By order Of
,peros Nicholas Count Muravieff.
I. foreign minister. handed to the
,,.,en diplomats at st. Petersburg a
-. declaring maintenance Of peace
"A The reduction OF the excessive arm
u.nts now crushing all nations is the
a..I for which all nations ought to
rive The cxar considers the present
,oment favorable for the inauguration
!. movement looking to this end. and
,vites the powers to take part In an
,,.rnational conference as a means of
rus ensuring real and lasting peace
teTmluetihB phSoaSsca'S
resse Of armament.
The cars proposition IL likely to pro-
.uce a sensation throughout Europe.
nd coming from such q quarter and
,,h such evident sincerity Of purpose,
ia likely to have important effects.
Fhere IL no doubt that with& Russia
,ting the lead in such a step Ger
n.ny. France and the other nations
v,ll be ready to follow.
The text Of the note follows:
The maintenance Of general peace
nd the possible reduction Of the ex-
,essiye armaments which weigh upon
M nations present themselves In ex-
,,ins conditions to the whole world as
u IDEAL toward which the endeavors
f Al governments should be directed.
rbe humanitarian and magnanimous
dsas Of his majesty. the emperor. my
hurust 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
viexsars all powers. and the imperial
government thinks the present mo-
meat would be very favorable to seek
ing the means.
International discussion 10 the most
e6ec<ual means Of ensuring all peoples
benent-a real durable peace. above all.
putting an end to the progressive de-
velopment Of the present amaments.
In the course Of the last 20 years
the pnging for general appessement
has grown especially pronounced In
the consciences Of civilized nations. and
the preservation Of peace has been put
forward as an object Of international
policy. 1t is in its name that great
states have concluded among them
selves powerful alliances.
1T Is the better to guarantee peace
that they have developed in proportions
hitherto unprecedented their military
forces and still continue to increase
them. without shrinking from any sac
hAce.
not yet been able to bring about the
benefcient result desired-pacification
THE financial charges following the
upward 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
unproductively consumed. Hundreds Of
millions are devoted to acquiring ter
hble engines Of destruction. which.
though today regarded 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 develop
meht. Moreover, in proportion as the
afmaments Of each power increase,
they less and less fulfill the object the
government set before themselves.
The economic crisis, due in great
part to the system Of armaments
routrance, and the continual danger
which lies In this massing Of war ma
'ertal are Transforming the armed
peace OF our days into a crushing bur-
den which the people have more and
more difficulty In bearing.
1t appears evident that II this state
OF things were to be prolonged It would
inevitably lead to the very cataclysm
II Is desired to avert. and the horrors
whereof make every thinking being
snudder In advance.
To put an end to these incessant
ornaments and to seek the means OF
warding Off the calamities which are
threatening the whole world-such is
'ne supreme duty today imposed upon
all states.
Filled with this idea, his majesty
nss been pleased to command me to
propose to all the governments whose
representatives are accredited to the
IMPERIAL court. the assembling of q
conference which shall occupy itself
"!tn this grave problem.
This conference will be, by the help
q God. a happy presage for the cen
tury which Ii about to open. It would
eonverse into one powerful focus the
euorts OF all states sincerely seeking to
make the great conception Of universal
peace triumph over the elements OF
trouble and discord. and II would. al
.ne same time. cement their agreemen,
" corporate consecration Of the
puncples Of equity and right whereon
sss the security Of states and the vel.
fsss Of peoples"
A0MlIIan NJ