The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-17

THE SINGER MANF0 co.
10 West Broad Street,
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.
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arbitration, there have been three nota-
bio peace conferences during tho year
upon our soil4-the Inter- Parlamentary,
Union, the International Congress OF Law
yers and Jurists, the session Of both these
bodies being held in st. Louis III Septeln-
ber and the international Peace con-
gress at Boston, soon thetca fter. 10
crown all these tendencies, Presldent
Roosevelt has Invited tho nations or me me
earth to assemble in n Second conference
at The Hnsue to carry forward me work
there 50 auspiciously begun IN 1892 by
tho establishment ofSn permanent court
Or arbitration.
In closing DR.. MITCHELL: said
AS defined by The Hague convention, !
arbitration has for its object tho deter
.,ninntion OF controversies between States 4
by Judges Of their own choice, upon the
basis Of respect for aw'-language rs
simple as tho principle is just. Arbitra-s
ton Is nothing new In our first treaty
with England, in 1874, we agreed to sub
nit a certain controversy TO arbitratlon.N
In one hundred and seven years he 4
United States has been party TO forty
seven arbitratlons. about half of all that
have taken place in the modern world.
some Of these, notably the Alabama and
Alaska Instances, were cases of exactly
the nature that have so often led TO wars
Yet not only5swcre these contentious set
tied In accordance with right instead OF
might, but also it IS, to be noted tnat
the dignity and sense of justice 4f the
nations involved We're greatly enhanced. 81
Far from losing materially, they gained
in moral prestige.
the treaties now before the
Senate simply carry out tho intent OF 9
concurrent resolution or the two branches 4
OF Congress-, which passed SO long o So
as 1890, calling upon the President to
"invlte from time to time, as fit occa-
sion may arise, negotiations with any
government with which the United Stntes
may shavo diplomatic relations, to the
end that any differences or disputes
arising between the two governments,
which cannot be adjusted by diplomatic
agency may be referred 10 arbitration"
Cleveland's Warlike Message,
sg Who can forget the thrill that shot
through this country on that December
day in 1896. when Clevelands message as 4
to the Venezuela affair was flashed along
the wires? One financier told me that the
slump in stocks cost this country n hun.
bred million dollars. The pending treaty
with England is intended to remove just
such a cause of offense by making II
obligatory to arbitration disputes not af-91
fecting Independence or national honor.
That single experience taught the two
English speaking nations the necessity.
of a treaty such as we arc tonight
pleading for. Not only was the Venc-
zuela case arbitrated satisfactorily all
parties; but taking advantage of the &C.
cusion, Secretary Clney and Sir Julian
Paunceforte signed a treaty of c9mpul-
sorry arbitration, which President Cleve-
land transmitted to the Senate on jan
2uary H. 1897 THE treaty, said he, mot
only makes war between the parties to
1T az remote possibility, but sprecludes
those fears and rumors OF war which CT
themselves too often assume the propor-$
stions Of national disaster" The treaty
failed by two votes to secure the neces-
sary two-thirds majority.
America Pacific by Instinct.
This failure is the more to be regretted
as our geographical position, pacific
spirit, and industrial and commercial in-l
terests all unite In making America a
pioneer in the cause OF tuniversal peace
With us peace Is an instinct. 10 this
Washington gave expression when he said
of war; MY first wish is to- see this
plague to mankind Gbanshed from the
earth and the sons and daughters of this
world employed IN more pleasing and In
nocent amusements than in preparing I'M
plements and exercising them for the de-
.struction OF mankind #
The United States and Mexico were the
first to invoke the services of The Hague
tribunal, as the means Of settling the
~, II n
Germany and Italy, cmbroiled with Vcne-
zuela, turned to President Roosevelt as
sole nrbiter, he wisely directed them, TO
The Hague court, thereby securing to
that tribunal a memorable increase of
its practical Importance. Consequently,
thirteen nations, all involved III the
Venezuela affair. appeared at the bar OF
tho august court OF The Hague, an
epocha event. Such, then, Is the M
broken record OF America In the interest
OF peace by &nrbitration. 9S5 &c
The South Responsive.
The hour is auspicious for the success
of these arbitration treaties. During this
very year, Chile and Argentina have
united In Il treaty Of unconditional ar
DURATION whereby their armies are dis
banded and their navies reduced On the
highest peak Of the Andes, Which marks
tho boundary these two nations have
erected In commemoration Of this benlsn
event Il statute OF the, Prince of Peace.
The past summer | found England aglow
with delight at the conclusion OF the ar
.bitration treaties with France. The kins
who has had II large share IN cultiyating
international goodwill. enjoys IN con-
sequence the utmost favor, al l'rlstol,[
on summit commanding u magnificent
view of the valley Of tho Avon and me
Channel there was erected in lS97 g mon
ument 10 The Cabots, who sailed from
thntpor in search Of this continent,
the tablet Is engraved the earnest hope
that peace and friendship may ever
continue between the kindred peoples OIL
this country aud Anleriea ' b \: nat cA-
presses the temper OF the isnslish mlna
to-day.s3 Z. I.
Arbitration was :ully cXemDlifled lust
month when Russia and ENGLAND were