New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-20
GREAT WORK WE'LL BEGUN
AMBASSADOR WHITE WRITES ABOUT
THE PEACE CONFERENCE.
THE WORLD NOW HAS A WORKABLE PLAN OF
observation-disclosures OF WAR
DIMINISHED.

DIMINISHED.
Homburg Aug. AT the request Of the CORE
spondent here Of The Associated Press Andrew
D. White, United States Ambassador to Ger
many. who was president OF the American
Peace Commission at The Hague. has written
the following in regard TO the result Of The
Hague Conference:
In my opinion great good was accomplished
far more, in fact than any OF US dared expect
or even hope when We came together
AS to disarmament, everybody really thinking
upon the subject must that good system Of
arbitration must come first. and that then, when
arbitration has diminished the likelihood Of
war the argument for cutting down forces and
ornaments is greatly strengthened. The logical
order then is, first arbitration and, next dis
armament
AS TO the plan Of arbitration, any compulsory
system is al present utterly out Of the question
There are so many international differences In
volving questions Of race, religion. security. and
even national existence. and the difficulty Of
drawing line between these and questions
which may properly be arbitrated is so insur
mountable that there is not a nation on the
face of the earth willing to risk an obligatory
system. Far better, then. than any compulsory
arbitration, which probably, even II II had been
adopted by the Conference, not one Of the
Powers would have finally ratified. is thor
oughly good system Of voluntary arbitration,
recourse TO which public opinion will enforce
more and more, and this / earnestly believe
that the Conference has presented TO the world
Some of the features in the plan adopted
Britain, some 10 Russia, some TO various other
Powers and. in my judgment, the plan thus
adopted is far more valuable than any scheme
presented by any one of the Powers at the be-
ginning The present plan is the result Of most
careful thought by the foremost international
lawyers. statesmen and dpomatsts of Europe
to say nothing OF other parts Of the world They
gave their whole souls 70 IT; their pride was in
vOlved in il. and il Will, believe be found TO
work satisfactorily.
The great point gained is that whereas for
rG.- tim, NIL only he
vided after long correspondence between Cabi-
nets and negotiations between Ministers and de-
bates in parliamentary bodies. and hunting for
proper judges and discussions 10 procedure
and a thousand other delays. just when time
was most precious, the Conference has given
to the world an Arbitration Tribunal as an
actual and permanent institution, with judges
procedure officers Of the court. place Of meet
ing and accessories all provided.
IT has added as subsidiary to its main feature
carefully systematized plans Of mediation. both
general and special. which are likely in many
cases to prove exceedingly valuable in prevent
ing nations from drifting into war.
1t has also provided a system Of commissions
oe inquiry by which the real questions and
grievances at issue can be ascertained ana
brought out to he cody considered. instead Of
the wild charges, counter charges. calumnies
sensational reports and rumors which nave
hitherto done much TO hurry people into war
We may fairly hope that time goes on a
resort the tribunal now created will become
more and more usual and natural and that
questions at issue can possibly he settled VIII
be far more effective than any attempt at com
pulsory resort to a high international court.
This is certainly a great gain and as has
been very justly observed in very remarkable
and thoughtful recert article in the Nord-
deutsch Allgamene Zeitung." the Conference
deserves credit for not attempting 70 go FUR
ther. To have done would have provoked
resistance and reaction. which would have left
the possibilities OF war more serious even than
they have been hitherto.
But even without arbitration plan the re-
suit would have fully justified our two months
work. The extension of the Geneva rules 10
maritime warfare. with the improvement and
establishment Of the best system possible at
present Of the laws and customs Of war, would
Of itself be a sufficient result.
With arbitration added 10 this. feel that the
world will be satisfied in time that we have
made a good beginning. valuable indeed az the
outset but likely to grow more and more valua-
bic as time goes on.
As TO gradual disarmament that will come
later. OF course, the people who insist on hav-
ing fruit on the day the tree is planted will
sheer at our work, but history WILL l believe
Judge II differently.