The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-14
bureau Of Arbitration.

about Il, governments not being much
given to taking the public into their con-
fidence.
Bureau Of Arbitration.
W. r. Stead knows more about II than
any other private citizen, for II was his
friend the car who suggested the confer
ence in the famous rescript Of August q.
in which he said: 1.-The economic crisis.
due In great part TO the system Of arna.
ments outrance. and the continual dan
ger which lies In the massing OF war ma
terial. Is transforming the armed peace
Of our days into a crushing burden. which
the peoples have more and more difficulty
In bearing" Mr.. Stead went to see the
car about II recently and had long per-
sonal talk with him. coming away con-
WINGED that his majesty meant business
and that peace was really In sight. The
famous editor has given up practically Ill
OF his time TO the peace propaganda ever
since
When I asked Mr.. Stead whether ne
thought the coming conference really was
going to amount to much. he answered
that he thought II would lead to the estah-
llshment Of a bureau OF arbitration. ito
which," he said, leach government would
agree 10 appeal for opinion before go
ing to war. II the opinion Is 10 the effect
that the government that wants to fight
has no case II can so ahead and fight.
anyway, II the other governments VIII let
II: but the adverse opinion would have
some weight from the beginning. and its
tendency would be to have more and more
weight"
Lord salishury's View.
Mr. Stead often has been credited with
being An enthusiast. On the other hand.
Lord Salisbury. premier OF Great Britain.
was never I'm his tate years suspected Of
a grain OF enthusiasm about anything or
anybody His note IL cynical. Yet here
IL his comment on the conference;
NO one can douh. the grandeur Of the
motives which animated the emperor in
sending this invitation. ard everyone must
heartily wish THAI his aspirations may re
realized But further than that do not
think IL IL safe TO 60. The constant In
crease cyT the arrnamsnss which In taking
place on all sides AT the very time thar
we are all speaking OF or prorhesying
peac. Is not encouraging 10 the ideal
dream IN which the cxa- has INDUCED and
may warn TIA TO prepare Tor "A possible
issue less gratifying than that on which
he has most naturally and lansably al
lowed his mind 10 dwell. There are many
difficulties to be surrnounte1 before any
such general eencst can Se obtained ss
that which he has sketcNs-i out ! should
rnyssse ne satisfied II the results Of the
conference ard negotiations are capable
OF achieving a somewhat humber aim. II
By extending TIE Use ~ TIE FfsHCsfs~ bk
arbitration we are able 20 diminish the
number Of causes by which war tn tn
daeed and H by humane and S<re1cent
legislation we can diminish the horrors o.
tha. war when Il is wsged. ] think We
shall fsSse done for oar generation a serv-
,c. OF which the Whole value cannet be
auysr~csasea al ones. but which tse future
tnashs.anss % Europe viii lcox hack 10
with gratitude: ard IT, as / nope, IN \
more distant time 10 fs developed 10 a
greater ard more y,~rs~cf ess1. ws shall
have cause 10 bless Tire name OF sns sov~
eresxn whose imagination. ard whose ssow-
~. and whose courage had resulted Ia %
greas a MEASURE"
D4aavmaaeat Idea Dropped.
rr-,sy a.! the opinions ,Aas can gather
4. seems certain that the cars suxv~s-
sforx fer \ general disarmament Of ali tae
ryowsrs has fse~n quietly DROPPED As ssn-
practicable. and wili net - seriously con-
.ss~y~x. ~ tae conference except cag of
courtesy 10 the cxar- tsa the other hasa.
n rrassy begins TO isnk u sas cssr-
terraces might mark the beginning a .