Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-08-09
PEACE MEET Is OVER.
WHAT WAS DONE AT TIE HAGUE
CONFERENCE.
The Foundation of an Arbitration
Plan thee Only important Achieve
ment No Specific Proposition Look
ing to Disarmament Adopted.


The Cars International peace confer
ence at The Hague has concluded its
work. A fair estimate of what has been
accomplished cannot be made until the
propositions agreed to have been pub
lished i'll full. But no proposition look
ing to the disarmament of nations was
adopted The signatory powers agreed
to use all their efforts to insure a peace
ful solution in international differences,
but it was provided that the good offices
or mediation of third power shall ex-
ciusively have the bearing of good coufs
SCI without compulsory force. Offers of
mediation in any given case shall n5t
cause the suspension cf war. preparations
or the interruption of war. Special
forms of mediation are recommended, but
only recommendedAs Differences which
may be made the object of local injury,
and which do not involve the honor or
vital interests of the powers concerned,
are to be submitted 10 international com
mittees of inquiry, but the reports of
these committees are not to have the
character of an arbitration award, but
are to leave the powers concerned at lib
erty to act as they feel best.
Arbitration is acknowledged to be the
most efficient and most equitable mode
OF settling differences, and the signatory
powers agree to organize permanent
court of arbitration accessible at all
times. 1t is optional with any power
whether it shall take any particular case
before the arbitration court or not. Ar
tice p declares: '"The signatory powers
conSider 1t their duty, whenever an acute
connect threatening to peace occurs be-
tween any of them, to recall to the lat
ter that the arbitration court is open to
them" The American delegates took
exception to this article, and insisted
that the language be so modified that the
United States may in no case be obliged
to interfere in European affairs, or Eu-
rope in American disputes. Declarations
were adopted prohibiting the use of as
phyxiating projectles OF expanding bull
let's, which Great Britain and the Unit
ed States declined to accept
Nothing has been accomplished as to
disarmament and little more than dec
laration favorable to the principle of ar
bitration has been accepted by all the
powers. The questions that relate to
nations honor have not been legislated
upon, ana nearly all questions that pre-
CipItilte NAc 40 feIdJe TO Il nation ) nom
or Even if court of arbitration is es-
tablished on the plan marked out, no ma
ton is bound to accept the plan. Ger
tainly in the United States the scheme
will have to be approved by the Senate.
The proposal to declare the inviolability
of private property during war on land
and sea, and the proposal regulating the
question of the bombardment of ports,
towns and villages by naval forces, were
referred to future conferences.
The United States has especial cause
for qualification and pride at the outcome
of the proceedings at The Hague. Ar
bitration is policy that this nation more
than any other has been instrumental
in inducing the world to adopt. In its
principles and main provisions, though
not i'll details, the plan agreed upon at
The Hague is in accord with the PROPOSE
tions submitted by the Americans, which
called for a permanent tribunal, with
voluntary arbitration, the award to be
morally binding upon both parties after
they have Joined in an application for ar
ptration. In the dominating force of its
IDEAS the United States has won recog-
hilton as a world power in the best sense
IF that term.