The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-02

MOhOnk Lake. N. y, June line
tenth annual conference on interna-
tional arbitration opened here to-day
with a larger attendance than at any
previous meeting of the body, nearly 300
people being present. The opening ex-
ercises consisted of an address of well
come by Albert K. Smiley and prayer
by Dr. Edward Everett Hale.
Judge George Gray of Delaware, who
was chosen to preside over the confer
ence on taking the chair, said:
The progress of civilization has been
a slow one. Inveterate prejudices die
hard. There has been an ebb and flow,
a receding as well as an advancing tide,
but. on the whole. we recognize the
steady gain of man. We are ourselves
carried along with the tendencies of the
time in which we live. We must rec
ognize the opportunity and obey the
call that has been sounded in our ears
Of power higher than ours. We are
not to be discouraged by untoward con-
ditions. The Car of Russia, who sug-
gested The Hague Tribunal, is involved
in internacine war that strains the re-
sources of his empire, but the Interna-
tonal Court of Arbitration at The
Hague will remain an enduring monu-
ment to his wisdom, and shed more
glory upon his reign than any triumph,
however great his armies may achieve.
A Bar to war.
The establishment and continued ex-
istence of the permanent court of inter-
national arbitration will make it more
difficult in the future than it has in
the past for nations to engage in war.
80 nttr
slowly, but steadily and that each re-
sort to its decisions will tend to form
and strengthen the habit of looking
thitherWard, to settle International diff
flculties by an appeal to reason, in
stead of an appeal to arms.
That International law is no longer
the sport of kings and a mockery of
the hopes of humanity is largely due
10 the assertion of it's obligations by
the statesmen of our formative period.
The parliament of men and the fed
Grafton of the world is emerging from
the mist of poetry to the sunlight Of
the practical world. When American
diplomacy secures an open port from
China it is not for American commerce
alone, but for the commerce of the
world. A selfish, sordid, aggressive or
merely self-starving national policy
will he more difficult to maintain in
Our own national conduct must more
and more conform to the enlightened
conscience of the country and will more
and more have applied to it the test Of
morality as we'll as of self-interest.
ChiVn1ry Among Nations.
In the words of an American Presi-
dent, l mistake the American people,
if they favor the odious doctrine, that
there is no such thing as international
morality; that there is one law for a
strong nation and another for weak
one and that even by indirection a
strong power may, with impunity, de-
spoil a weak one of it's territory.
There is growing to be a chivalry
among nations, as there has been a
chivalry among men, and under the
protection of that sentiment, the weak
nations of the world are measureably
secure from aggression or spoilation.
No present advantage will justify
national disregard of this high behest,
or heal the wound inflicted upon the
honor of a nation by the abuse of its
power"
The Venezuelan Arbitration.
The review of the year in the his
tory of arbitration was made by DR.
Benjamin f. Trueblood of Boston. Sec
rotary of the American Peace Society.
Mr.. Trueblood discussed the Vene-
zuelan arbitration, which he said was
the most remarkable law suit, If law
suit is the proper name for 1T, which
the world had ever seem" Abiding
10 the award. he said:
Under the circumstances no other
decision seems to have been possible
The award is likely to have consider
e'ble influence in inducing the govern
ments of the world to observe theiI
contracts and promises more scrupu-
lously than they have heretofore done
However narrow and disappointing
the decision may seem to any, the
faot that eleven Powers including sc
much of the civilized world, appeared
at the same time before this new inter
national court, submitting their con-
tention candidly and then loyalty abid-
ing by its decision, is an event OF the
FIRST magnitude in the organization Of
Justice and peace among the nations"
Treaties Forming.
But" he continued, "the Hague
Court has received still more signal
support during the year. Great Brit
ain and France, France and Italy
Great Britain and Italy, Holland ano
Denmark, Great Britain and Spain
france and Spain, and France anc
Holland have, within the last eight
months, concluded treaties under the
terms of which they have pledged
themselves to submit for five years
certain classes of cases to the Inter
national Court. The treaty between
Holland and Denmark is without limi-