The times., 1899-07-25
The Shirt of Mettcrnich.

The Spirit of Mettcrnich.
Sound American Judgment cannot find
any cause for allelulas in the results of the
Peace Conference at The Hague. There
certainly is not in the articles adopted one
binding obligation on the signatory powers
against resort to war. There is not
even any provision in them lessening
one scintilla its horror and savagery.
The American delegates. through Ambas-
sador White. advanced practical PROPOSE
ton looking to the reduction of hostilities
to the more enlightened basis of civiliza-
tion and this was received by Great Brit
ain, Russia, and France in niggardly.
not to say sinister, spirit. Had Ambassa-
dor Whites proposal to abolish privateer-
ing, which is only the polite name for
buccaneering, been received without the
quibble that its consideration transcended
the stipulated powers of. the Conference
and therefore it would have to be
postponed to another conference here
after to be called, it would have caus-
ed the entire proceedings Of the Con-
ference TO have been viewed with respect
by thoughtful and honest minds every
where Its chilly treatment, however,
has only tended to harden into conviction
the suspicion in the patriotic American
mind that the main object of the Confer
ence was far removed from the iterated
and reiterated avowals of its promoters
the adoption of a scheme for universal and
permanent peace.
In article twenty-three is probably dis
cernible the milk in the cocoanut plucked
This article provides that within three
months after the ratification of the Peace
Conference acts each power shall desig-
nate -four persons highly versed in inter-
national law and of high moral standing
to act as arbitrators." They will form
a court, and their full transactions will be
communicated by the bureau to all the
powers One or several powers may agree
to choose in common one or several judges.
The same person may represent different
powers. The members Of the court are to
be nominated for six years, and their term
may be renewed. They will enjoy all Dip
lomatic privileges
This all sounds very nice. To the IN
thinking sentimentalists it is hypnotic.
To the greedy, rapacious European mon
archs 1t must be extremely gratifying. To
the sensible. keen, far-sighted American
it is chicanery pure and simple. 1t is a
bold attempt to steal the livery of heaven
to serve the devil. If Metternich were
alive and had a voice and vote at The
Hague he could not have devised better
scheme whereby to check the growth of
liberty and paraIyze the energies of Ameri-
can free institutions which are just now
beginning to be established throughout the
world. OF course the proposed court would
be dominated by European influence. This
country would have only four votes in the
tribunal, and on any of the various propo-
sitions coming before it to affect interna-
tional comfy Americas voice would be
| overwhelmed by Europes. 1t would en-
tangle us in European politics and enmesh
US in monarchical quarrels and jealousies
from which there would be no hope of
relief short of an abrupt withdrawal from
the convention and resort TO war against
the combined sentiment of the Old World.
The proposition involves a form of Eek
pansion'' from which every clear minded
American will recoil with a shudder when
it is we'll understood. 1t is an elabora-
tion in an alluring disguise of the arbi-
tration treaty with Great Britain which the
last Senate defeated after a tremendous
struggle with all of the forces of foolish
sentimentalism and organized greed in the
two nations. AS the British proposal was
much less harmful than the one formulat-
ed at The Hague, there is very little
| room to doubt how the overwhelming mass
| of the American people will view this lat
| their treaty making power for ratification.
In view of the fact, however, that the
Senate, to which it will be submitted, is
| strongly Republican, and therefore quite
| probably dominated by the foreign fiscal
and financial policies of the Administra-
| ton, it is not impossible that The Hague
Convention will be fastened upon this
| country unless the people warn Mr. Me-
| Klnley and his advisers against the politi-
cal danger to which they will commit
| themselves by a course friendly to this
| adroit scheme of drawing America hope
| lessly into the swirling maelstrom OF
| European politics.
Democratic leaders could perform a nc
more patriotic service at this juncture than
| by raising their voices, trumpet-tongued
against this iniquitous scheme of loot and
plunder and absolutism.