New-York tribune., 1899-05-18
THE PARLIAMENT OF NAN"

The phrase Is hackneyed 1t has been
thousand times applied to the flgments of idle
visions. 1t is not yet. and perhaps never in
our time, 10 be realized in anything like its
authors sense. Yet 1t invountarily rises to
mind. with more of fitness than ever before In
connection with to-day's assemblage in the
"Huis ten Bosch" No place could be more
appropriate or more auspicious. 1t is In a coun-
Try once one Of the most militant now one Of
the most peaceful II IS in a hall adorned with
paintings by Jordaens commemorative at once
OF the military triumphs of Prince Frederick
Henry and of the Peace of Munster No armies
are encamped around IL. The calm and quiet
or Arcadia prevail. And there and thus as
semble the representatives. not, IL is true, of
every tribe and nation. but of some score or
more of States Of the Old World and the New.
and they the States which Of all are foremost
In the actualites Of peace and in the poten-
tiallties OF war. For the time, and in that
place, the war drums throb not. and the battle
flags are furled. There is no federation of the
world. but there Is in this gathering what may
without stretch OF fancy be called Parlia-
ment Of Man.
For that Is what It purports to be- and what
II must in truth be, unless 1t is TO be the most
dismal of failures. The keynote of every dis
cussion must be the welfare not Of this or that
nation. but Of all nations equally 1t is for that
the congress has been called. II Is not to pro-
mote the welfare of Russia. or OF Great Brit
ain. or OF the United States, or Of any alli-
ance OF combination Of Powers but of human
ity at large That is the fundamental principle
OF II. and the prime consideration which moved
this Nation and other nations TO take part In
II. That is the Circumstance which different
ates II from all other congresses. The Holy
Alliance aimed at conserving the supposed in
terests Of its members. The Triple Alliance OF
to-day Is similarly selfish. The recent Concert
OF Europe had regard solely TO the welfare Of
the six great Powers. So we might say Of all
the various alliances. concerts. congresses and
what not that have from time to time drawn
various States together The aim of them has
been selfish or partial. II not actually hostile 10
those not comprehended in them. But this
congress has for It's aim the common good Of
all. even Of those not represented In II as much
as Of those that are. II Is unique in compost
ton and in purport. We may hope that II will
likewise be unique In benefcent results
We have hitherto discussed in some detail
the tentative agenda Of the congress. The top
les Of discussion are divided into three general
classes: Disarmament the Humanizing OF
War. and Arbitration. Concerning the first
class, we confess TO cherlshing no illusions and
few hopes. The present temper Of the world
gives little promise OF success for any immedi-
ate project OF disarmament. The second class
affords more room for expectation. The pres
ent prohibition Of explosive bullets. etc. may
well he extended so as TO make the operations
OF armies still less cruel while no less effective,
and the Geneva Red Cross Convention may well
be made to cover war by sea as well as war
BY land. We are aware that some extreme hu.