The San Francisco call., 1899-05-21
THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

to those who hoped that the Cars conference
would result in the decrease OF ornaments and
the lifting from the people OF the burden OF great
armies and navies.
The modern nations have been too much indoc-
trinated by Lord Sasburys conscience queting doc
trine OF dying nations" upon whose estates the
strong and vital nations have right to administer,
and by Kipiing's White Mans Burden, which is the
death kne OF the weak and defenseless, abate their
military establishments and mind their own business
when so much loot is in sight. If they could agree,
peacefully, upon which should administer upon each
nation that the whole decide to be moribund, and
which should 60 jocund the task OF discriminating
the weak and friendless, the matter would be smpli
fed and armaments might be reduced to the scale
quired in Fastening the death OF the dying and in the
slaughter OF the weak But the trouble is the mpos-
sibty OF such an agreement. Take the descent upon
China as an example That great empire offers a
richer spoil than Caesar found in Gau England in
India. Even the United States have been invited to
take some OF it. All the limitations OF international
law are suspended at the borders OF that country.
lis immediate partition is not delayed by any regard
for the rights OF its people. but only by disputes
among the nations now in peace conference as to
which shall get the best pieces. Already American
statelmen have declared that we must have our rights
in the division OF China Just what rights we, or
the other western nations, have to property that
morally and by international law belongs to another
no has undertaken to define. China has waged
war on none OF them, but has stayed at home and
minded her own business Yet the forcible over
throw OF her Government and the partition OF her
estate planned and the western nations are armed
to fight it out with each other and throw cannon
shot like dice for property to which they have no
legal moral claim.
So the disarmament phase OF the Peace Conference
branch OF the question, already suggested by Sir
Julian Paunceote the representative OF Great Britain
This goes to an agreement to mitigate the horrors OF
by defining clearly what shall be considered an
act Of against enemy. Formerly, in naval
warfare, many acts permitted which now by in
ternational agreement forbidden as piracy This
was great and humane step OF the unrestrained
cruelties OF the past Recent events have made it
necessary take similar step in regard to military
carnage on land Slaughter Of the wounded killing
prisoners using fire primarily agent of destruc-
ton OF human life, bonbarding unfortihed cities,
sheng coasts and the shores OF inhabited by
defenseess natives resulting in the wholesale murder
.of women and children all used the means of
spreading and compelling surrender OF all
other rights as the price OF the right to live
The Peace Conference is between so-caled Chris
tian nations, all OF which send missionaries to the
heather, and whose Christian sects proseyte among
themselves, each regarding itself the special custo
dian OF the truths OF Christianity and promoter OF
the principle Of peace earth and good will toward
men. Their general professions of Christianity will
deserve credit if they will follow what seems to
be the initial trend Of sentiment in the conference and
agree do their killing OF each other and OF others
who, being deensecss and therefore most in need OF
peace, allowed representatives in the Peace
Conference, without unnecessary cruelty Not much
attention has far been given the fact that none
! OF the Central and South American nations is per-
niitted voice in this conference. Not being per
mitted to speak they evidently thinking and the
/ frank proposition OF Cecil Rhodes that being in
capable of resistance their conquest shall be consd-
cred part of the white mans burden forms the pr1-
| cipal subject OF their thoughts
Some one has recently compared the United States
to the strong lion which, by process of evolution
and for the purposes and pleasures of diet DESTROYS
and assimilates to himself the weaker animals de-
prved by nature of the means of defense In this
view of it meeting OF lions and tigers to consider
the paths of peace toward each other would interest
the weaker animals only because il would probably
prevent fight for the possession of their bodies after
they dead
In any view OF it. is the time for the Christian
bodies of the world to impress upon the conference
the need of defining clearly the difference be-
tween act OF and common murder
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