Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-14
A WORLDWIDE PEACE.
Gear OF Russia Tells How It
Can Be Assured.
WAR PREPAREDNESS MUST STOP.

Nicholas II. Declares Great Armies
and NAvies Must De Reduced Or q
CONFLICT Involving the Whole
World May Come Sooner Than Ex-
pected-Advocatcs General Disarm-
ament.
The car OF Russia has within the
present month declared that great ar
mics and navies, instead of guarantee
ing the peace of Europe, will be power
less> r. avert the war Of the future
which may, DC adds, involve the whole
world. He asserted that the powers,
now staggering unds~ the burdens Of
overtaxation. are rushing 70 disaster
and that the catastrophe may come
sooner than people expect. The ruler
Of all the Russias sees permanent peace
for the world only by general disarma-
ment. and he declared that he regard
ed 1t as his sacred duty to persuade the
nations to disarm.
The views Of Nicholas II. were ex-
pressed during the recent maneuvers
of the German fleet in the Baltic sea
while he was guest on board Kaiser
Wilhelm's yacht Hohenzollern. The
car was in earnest conversation with
the German admiral commanding the
fleet, and this conversation is reported
in the Frankfurter Zeitung, copies of
which have just reached the United
States. The Frankfurter Zeitung Is
looked upon as the most reliable and
honorable newspaper printed In ELL
rope, and in consequence of the high
position it holds in the political world
it's report of the interview between the
car and the admiral has attracted
general attention on the continent The
conversation between the car and the
admiral as reported by the Zeitung fol-
lows:
Admiral-Your majesty is pleased to confer too
great an honor upon an old sea dog like me.
am delighted to think that your majesty received
favorable impression OF our army and navy, for,
your majesty may rest assured, we strain every
nerve to keep the army and navy abreast OF the
times, which is the ideal thing for every good
government to do.
The Czar-There I differ with you, admiral
do would be to reduce standing armies and navies
instead Of keeping on increasing their strength
This so called preparedness for war-armng on a
great and greater scale-is overburdening the
peoples Of Europe All governments should strive
to lessen their expenses for the army and navy
As long as they do the opposite they are simply
upholding and perpetuating an intolerable situa'
ton.
Admiral--A humane and extremely generous
thought your majesty, but
The Car dnterrupting)-Not thought only,
admiral. ! am devotng my life to the realiza-
ton Of the peace idea.
Admiral-1ndeed your majestys big hearted
endeavDrs permit of misnerpretation, but
the other powers, your majesty, the other pow
ers! Your majesty won't believe for moment
that the others powers will find it to their inter-
est to reduce their armies and nayies!
The Carl am convinced that condition such
as have outlined will serve the true interest and
conform to the just aspirations OF all the powers,
Admiral-May it please your majesty, don't
you think that a perfect army and navy, an army
and navy ready to move against the enemy at
moments notice. to speak-doesnt your raj
esty think that such weapons as those constitute
the best guarantee OF peace?
The Czar--In order to establish true and perma-
nent peace 1t is absolutely necessary that the
nations war preparedness as constituted by their
armies and navies, be limited. The nations burst
and heaping up material. There should be
further progress, called in the art of killing
men and animals, destroying ships, interfering
with commerce and laying waste provinces All
that has to stop. The nations want a rest. They
have been clamoring for the cessation OF war
scares, produced by the announcement that
has better guns than B or that y is building
more and better ships than afford to do
They have demanded let up in war preparedness
for twenty years. On that point the civilized
nations are fully agreed, and international policy
my dear admiral, will eventually compel the
permanent peace-policy, ! say, and not armies
and navies.
Admral-l beg to assure your majesty that my
government, like that Of st. Petersburg, strives
for peace most earnestly. To preserve peace is its
sincerest wish, believe me, your majesty, but to
preserve peace our army and navy must be in the
best possible shape We must increase and aug.
ment them steadily to keep pace with the growth
of population and the armament of other peoples.
Your majesty knows the old saying: 81 Wis pacem
para bellum. God forbid that increase tile
army and navy with the idea Of carrying war
into our neghbors' land. It's all done in the in
terest Of peace. For peace's sake we willing
to make any sacrifice
The Czar-Yes, / heard this story before. You
compel your people to bleed itself to death to
furnish ways and means for keeping up tremen.
dous force on land and sea and for adding to 1t
constantly in manner heretofore, happily, un-
known. Neither Napoleon !. nor Frederick the
Great neither Alexander Peter, neither Louis
XIV. nor own Catherine. ever dreamed Of such
armies and navies in wartime estab-
lshed while Europe enjoys the blessings Of peace.
But all your arming and the whole immense ap.
paratus afoot and ahoat eating millions day by
day. don't amount to a row Of pins as an actual
guarantee Of peace The nations of Europe are
today as far as ever from declaring the perma.
rency Of peace. Despite your armies and navies
the blessings OF q worlds peace not yet with
In reach
Admiral-True enough, your majesty, armed
peace demands great sacrifice. We have to pay
heavily for the maintenance OF peace by grand
army and navy; but, your majesty, the people are
glad to contribute to the welfare Of Europe even
at considerable expense.
The Czar-Maybe, admiral, but the thing can't
go on! The sacrifices demanded of the taxpayer
are constantly growing. Financial troubles, owing
to the expense Of the army and navy, are increas-
ing day by day. tell you this thing spells dis
aster. The public welfare is threatened at its
roots.
"a.