Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-01
4 Il OF PEACE.

ton 4 the people OF all nations 70
gneer al tie peace pretensions Of the
ear of Russia, 81 whose initiative the
reace tribunal was established What.
eyer ma be said about the Russian
statesmen and diplomats BY whom the
car ii surrounded, and certainly g a
great extent influenced, there are
many students Of world affairs who
believe that the present state Of war
between Russia and Japan affords no
proof ef any ~insincerity on the part
Of the czar
No less an authority than Melville
r.. stone. general manager Of the As.
sociated Press. who was present In
ST. Petersburg at the opening Of hos
.~tifities, and for some ten days pre-.
yious. and who had exceptional op-
p~ortunities for a~scertaining the true
state Of feeling al the Russian court
al well as the actual views OF the czar.
states az his belief that the car had
never given up the hope OF peace and
was prepared. In case sof me failure
Or The two nations to reach an agree
ment, to submit their difference TO
The Hague tribunal. The car and his
people were. according TO Mr.. Stone,
strangely unable to grasp the real
truth or the situation. that Japan was
absolutely determined upon war IN
less Russia conceded her contentious
so completely as TO entirely remove
every shadow Of a casus belli. With
out doubt the car vas deceived BY
those Of his advisers who TO any ex-
tent appreciated the real disposition
of Japan.
Edward Everett Hale. a staunch
friend Of peace, In an article to the
Denver Times, defends the position
Of the car, and believes that history
will show him to be sincere in his
advocacy Of disarmament:
It seems probable writes Mr..
Hale. that the government Of japan
and the government Of Russia were
both approached BY friendly powers
who were willing 10 mediate between
them It Is certain that any such over.
lures were declined, perhaps by both
of these powers. The Hague trib.
unai. and the people who constituted
ii. have no methods of compelling such
mediation or an assent 10 1t. This Is
al difficult as 1t Is III America to com.
pei arbitration between laboring men
and the men who furnish them shov.
els. But the existence OF the trib
unai has been more than Justified
even II Ii cannot do everything.
"In considering the present war Il
should be remembered that Japan is .
crowded country. The statesmen d
Japan when they look into the future
: look into a necessity OF providing som,
place or places to which their peopl,
may cmigrate. They are in the pc
sition In which England was whel
Carlyle wrote his Later Day Pampf
lets;' his only solution for the tror
bles Of England was emigration. TIL
? islands Of Japan are very badl
Z crowded. and II Is very natural tina
those In her government who look fol
= ward should have in mind the oper
: ing OF new regions to which Japanes
families may emigrate without 50,
: rificing their nationality. II Is cei
! tainly d great misfortune that sue
= an emergency al has arisen should II
= yolye a war In which the emperor I
! Russia Ii engaged. History will shoy
= as | believe. that the emperor OF Ru
STA Is a true friend of peace. III
\ tory VIII show that he has acted frol
y his convictions and aspirations In suI
gesting first n partial disarmament !,
y the world; and, second, In THROWN
\ the whole weight Of his authority mi
Y the enactment " The three Hague So
y yentions.n