The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-06-10
ARBITRATION CAMPAIGN
Edward Everett Hale's Plan to
Preserve Worlds Peace.
A GREAT TRIBUNAL ADVOCATED,

national ArbitFatiOn-TO Work Up
Public Interest Meetings Will Bc
Held In Many Of the Larger Cities.
4 supreme court of international ar.
bitratiOn as a substitute fOr war, ia
settle the perplexing questions which
arise between the nations of the world,
is the dream Of DR.. Edward Everett
Hale, the senate chaplain. AS a leader
in the American movement toward In
%ternational arbitration DR.. Hale sees
new hope in the committee consisting
Of Senators Frye, Fairbanks and Nor
gan, appointed to formulate a general
scheme of practical operation to pre-
cent to the senate.
In reviewing what has already been
accomplished in America and what it
is hoped can be done in the immediate
future DR.. Hale said in a recent inter-
view with the New York Herald's
Washington correspondent:
"The determined movement for in
ternatiOnal arbitration in America was
first organized in Washington when a
conference was held under the stimulus
Of Mr.. Cleveland's proposed war With
England. The object of that confer
ence was the establishment of a per-
manent system Of arbitration between
the United States and Great Britain.
OF hat conference the author was the
late William E. Dodge of New York.
A committee of business men in New
York invited to Washington 300 promi-
lent men from all parts of the United
States. Their resolutions were present
ed to Mr.. Cleveland and to Mr.. Olney
and were received with hearty ap-
prevail.
"The impression made by that great
conference in this country and in Eng
land was very great. From that mo-
ment we heard no more of the war
with England. On the other hand, the
parties at issue referred their conten-
tons to an arbitration board which met
at Paris and made it's decision, which
decision was accepted by England
and Venezuela. A treaty was project
ed between the United States and Eng
land to provide for similar reference in
the future, but that treaty was certain
ly unfortunate in some of it's provi-
sions, and, though it commanded a ma
jority of our senate, it did not COM
mand the two-thirds necessary.
Everything seemed favorable this
year for the second meeting of that
conference. All the surviving members
Of it We're summoned again to Wash
ington. The call for this meeting was
signed by Judge Foster, the great pa
cificator,' as he has been we'll called;
Mr.. Schurz, President Angel, Mr..
Rives, John B. Moore, and Others. This
meeting was not what is called a peace
meeting. 1t looked forward to interna-
tonal justice, to a system by which
such a central court for the world
could be established, like the supreme
court of the United States-that is to
say, a tribunal before which different
nations may bring questions in contro-
versy, which may ascertain the facts
and after argument determine what is
Justice as between the nations in
volved.
1.-THE general drift of opinion through
all the northern states is much more
largely confident as to the possibilities
of such a tribunal than one would sup
pose from the large appropriations for
the army and navy.
"FOllowfng fast on the first arbitra-
ton conference came the surprise of
the emperor of Russia's peace invita-
ton to the world. The invitation was
first received with sneers and ridicule.
but the interesting thing about it was
that the business men of Europe took
1t up as having sense in it. The propa-
ganda among business men that year
showed Lord Salisbury what was the
real sense OF the men who do the work
of the world, and he, who had been
very cold in his reception of the en-
peror's invitation, came to a very cor
dial support of the congress at The
Hague. The United States, England
and Russia are responsible for what
The Hague convention did.
I'm America this determination that
nations shall act with each other as
OF affairs act has not shown itself
In h same way. But l know that in
all the larger cities there exist
organizations more or less active made
up of men of affairs who are deter
mined that the country shall under
stand what are the possibilities of the
great international tribunal.
II believe that this summer will
show that there exists throssGn the
whole country a determination in favor
Of the arbitration sentiment like that
which undoubtedly exists in England.
"The Massachusetts commission of
justice expects this sum-
mer to hold a series of public meet
of the leaders of the community
in the principal cities Of the mercan-
tile, manufacturing and agricultural
Their experience has shown
that a we'll conducted public meetinp