The San Francisco call., 1904-10-04
HAY CREETS DELEGATES WHO
CONE To LABOR FOR PEACE
Secretary Of State Agrees With
To|stoi That Religion IS
Remedy for War.

greatest
deliver US from the body of this death
I am speaking to those who recognize the
lamentable state of things and VINO yet @ uo
not accept IL. submit to II. and who nops
that through the shadow of this night We snall
sweep into younger day How is TINS great
deliverance to be accomplished
RELIGION FURNISHES REMEDY.
We have all recently read that wonderful
sermon on war by Count Tolstoi. in which a
spirit of marvellous lueidity and nre, aoso,
lutely detached from geographical or pohtical
given him to speak 1t, and no other living
man could have done AS you read, with an
fe=ling that as a man you are partly resp9nt-
sible for all human atrocities. you wait with
impatience for the remedy ne snaI PROPOSE.
ana you md IL is-reliston. Yes, that y lus
remedy. II all would do right. nobody would
do wrong-nothing is palmer. 1t Is a counsei
OF perfection satisfactory to prophets and
saints, to be reached in God good time. But
You are here TO consult together to see Wnetner
thing to hasten the Coming Of the acceptable
day the appearance on earth OF the Deatine
vision. If we can not at once make peace ana
nations. what can we do to approximate this
condition? What measures can We now take
which may lead at least little distance
toward the wished-for goal?
have not come to advise YOU 1 have no
such ambitious pretensions. do not even
aspire 70 take part in your deliberation- But
am authorized to assure you that the American
Government extends to you a cordial ana
most the spirit and purpose in which you
have met The President so long as he
remains in power. has no thought OF depart
ing from the traditions bsqueathed US by the
great soldiers and statesmen OF our early
history which have been strictly followed
tinue to advocate and to carry into effect.
as far as practicable. the principle Of the
arbitration Of such questions as may not De
settled through diplomatic negotiations We
have already done much In this direction;
we shall hope 10 do much more The Presi-
dent Is now considering the negotiation OF
treaties OF arbitration with such Of the Eu-
ropean powers desire them. and hopes 10
lay them before the Senate next winter. And
finally the President has. only few days
ago, promised. in response to the request OF
the lnteroarliamentary Union, to invite the
nations to q second conference at The Hague
10 continue the benehcent work Of the con-
AS II heaven had decided to give a sign
or deepest Significance to the hour of your
meeting it comedies with the commitment to
eternal peace OF all that was mortal of
dear and honored co-laborer in this sacred
cause George Frisbe Hoar had many titles
the arm and constant courage with which
through all his illustrious life he pleaded for
humanity and universal good will.
STEPS TO BE UNDERTAKEN.
Unhappily cannot foresee in the imme-
diate future the occasion Of upon the
earth. We ought therefore to labor con-
stantly for the mitigation Of the horrors of
war especially to DO what we can to lessen
the struggle This has been one Of the most
warmly cherished wishes of the last two ad-
ministrations. l make no apology for reading
you a paragraph from the message which
President Roosevelt sent to Congress last De
cember:
There seems good ground for the belief
that there has been real growth among
PERMIT gradual substitution Of other meth
DDS than the method of war in the settlement
OF disputes. II Is not pretended that as yet
we are near a position in which Il will be
possible wholly to prevent war, or that a
Just regard for national interest and honor
Will in all cases permit of the settlement Of
international disputes by arbitration: but by
a mixture of prudence and hrmness with wis
dom We think il is possible to do away with
much of the 9rovocation and excuse for war
and at least in many cases to substitute some
k.Other and more rational method for the set
tlement Of disputes. The Hague Court offers
so good an example OF what can be done in
the direction of such settlement that 1t should
be ENCOURAGED in every way.
dent McKinleys annual message of Deem
ber 3. 1885, he made the following recon-
mendaton
" The experiences of the last year bring
torclbly home to us a sense of the burdens
and the waste of war. We desire, in common
with most civilized nations to reduce to the
lowest possible point the damage sustained in
time of war by peaceable trade and com
meree. 1t IS true we may sufYer in sncb
cases less than other communities but al
nations damaged more or less by the state
OF uneasiness and apprehension into which an
outbreak Of hostilities throws the entire COM
lnercial world. 1t should be our object there
fore, TO minimize. so far practicable, this
Inevitable loss and disturbance. This pur-
pose can probably best be accomplished by an
international agreement to regard all private
property at sea as exempt from capture or
destruction by the forces of belligerent powers
The United States Government has for many
years advocated this humane and. benefcent
principle and is now in position to recon-
mend II to other powers without the impu-
tation OF selfish motives / therefore suggest
for your consideration that the Executive be
authorized to correspond with the governments
OF the principal maritime powers with view
or Incorporating into the permanent law OF
civilized nations the principle of the exemp-
tion OF all private property at>eea. not contra
band OF war. from capture or destruction by
belligerent powers. "
AWAITING END OF STRIFE.
The President urged this benehcent scheme