The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-17
URGED THE RATIFICATION
OF THE ARBITRATION TREATIES
Prominent Men Spoke at a Mass Meeting Held in
Carnegie Hail.

called to urge the prompt ratification
Of the arbitration treaties recently
signed by the State Department with
several of the leading foreign Powers,
was held tonight at Carnegie Hall
under the auspices Of the New York
Executive Committee of the American
Conference on International Arbitra-
ton
John Crosby Brown, in an opening
address, expressed regret at the alb
sence of Andrew Carnegie. who was
to have opened the meeting. but who,
he said, could not be present.
Mayor George B. Mcclellan presided
and was the first speaker. He was fol-
lowed by NJ. Linn Bruce and Arch
bishop Ireland. While the Archbishop
was speaking he was interrupted by
man who cried: Give somebody
else a chance"
The Archbishop Immediately sat
down. The audience hooted the man
who had shouted and ushers tried to
find him. but failed. Then the audi
ence applauded until Archbishop Ire
land resumed his speech. He said, in
part:
"A great nation it is-this America
of ours. The three millions who
watched over her in her infancy are
now the eighty millions. The latent
opulenee of her soil and climate bios
SONS forth in richest profusion, and
pours into her bosom unrivalled fruit
age The native ingenuity of her sons,
quickened into feverish activity by
magnificent opportunities, makes her
the unchallenged queen of industry
and enterprise. Her commerce moves
fFI1ln1nh toI1 oil
continents. And her power of self-as-
sertion is mighty; defiant ever of sub
Jugation, fitted ever for the aureole of
victory, however potent the opposition.
And now America is conscious of
the greatness into which she has
grown. So rapidly had she been grow
ing, so earnest had she been in effort
ana life that no pause would she make
to measure her stature and for long
she knew not the nights to which she
had been soaring. But the revelation
or herself at last came to her. The
Spanish American War was the occa-
sion; America was thrilled with the
sense OF her mightiness; she heard the
returning echoes of her World-embrac-
ing prestige and influence; she UNDER
stood that great she is at home. that
great she is abroad: she understood
that no Atlantic, no Pacific coast sets
limit to her name or to her work; and
that to be truthful to herself and
truthful to humanity she must, wills
she 1t or wills she it not. hold herself
to be great and resolutely assume and
play amid earth's nations the role of
greatness.
America a leader of Nations. &
by the very force of her greatness
leadership in the affairs of human
itV iS aGSiOnp6 70
not refuse herself to it. What shall
that leadership be2 Be it worthy, we
pray, of Americai Be it such. we
pray, that humanity must bless the
day, when the republic of the West
rose into dignity and power and was
enthroned as queen amid the worlds
most queenly nations.
What shall the4ea dership of Amer
lea be? The President of the republic
and his Secretary of State have spoken,
and their words have reached the ut
ltermost bounds Of the earth. Address
ing the diplomatic officers of the United
States accredited to the governments
signatories to Thee Hague convention,
Secretary Hay wrote: The President
has charged me to. yinstruct you to as
certain whether the government to
which you are accredited is willing to
conclude with the government of the
United States an arbitration treaty of
like tenor to the arrangements, con-
cluded between France and Great
Britain on Oct. Ia, 1903'- The leader
ship of America, if our chieftains in
terpret Alright the thought of the
American people, is the leadership of
peace and good will, the leadership of
justice and righteousness; and the adj
vent of America into greatness betol-
ems nought but love and joyousness
amid the nations of earth.
What 1t Might Have Been.
1T might have been the leadership
of strength. Intoxicated with the pride
of mightiness America might have al
lowed herself to be, as of yore the
Greece of Alexander, or the Rome of
Caesar, a bold, ambitious power, maxi
ing her sole appeal to her trusted
sword. A new menace were she to
peoples and to tribes, a new peril to
the weak and unoffending, one more
disturbing element in the family of
mankind, and naught else, should her
standard have symbolized but the ire
sponsible prowess, the brute force,
which has so often already crimsoned
dee2ly with human hecatombs the
pages of the worlds history. No; such
be not. America. thy ambition and thy
glory; rather be thy message to the
WOflQ mat OF lne SAVIOUR Pedce TO
men of good will;' by thy reign new
era in the life of nations-the era of
love to ALL the era Of justice to all. I"
A Plea for Peace.
Throughout, his address, which was
lengthy, was an appeal for a universal
peace. In conclusion. he said: Amer
lea may strive for the best: but I'M
til the best is secured beyond peril
she must be ready for the worst; and
so long as war is still possible, so long
as it remains the sole arbitrament
in defense of vital interests, so long
must America put faith in her army
and navy.
1.-THE army and the naval We hon
or them, we praise them. Their
prowess was ever heroic, when in the
past America needed their service; it
will ever be heroic, should America
need il in the future. But, because we
honor them. we wish that seldom in
the future need shall be that Amer
lea bid them to the fray. The army
and the navy glorious they are when
justice and righteousness invoke their
sword. Glorious they are, when in
their aim is peace and honor. Peace
4 ~ Az 0urn Va,