Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-04
Interesting Session, Friday, at
Mohonk Lake, N. Y.
Plan to Submit Disputes to The Hague
Arbitration Tribunal.
Passage of Memorial Urging an Inter.
national Congress.

clares:
| With unabated confidence in the
cause OF arbitration this confereno q
renews its allegiance to the PRINCIPLES
involved and continues its efforts to
promote them. With great gratifica-
ton we record the fact that II nations,
five of them ranking among the great
powers, have appeared before the court
at The Hague and submitted their con-
controversies to it's adjudication.
| We confidently rely upon the ire
| siStible power of public opinion to give
| effectual sanction to the judgments of
The arbitration tribunal and to extend
the scope of its jurisdiction. To Gre
ate demand for resort to this court
| for the settlement of controversies be-
tween nations in a constantly increas-
| ing number and range of cases, is the
immediate, constant and imperative
requirement of the situation.
TO this end the conference urges all
people to give their influence to the
adjudication by The Hague tribunal of
al disputes between nations substan-
| tally as in disputes between parties
in civilization. None are so high and
none so low as to be beyond the I'M
happy effects of war.
I'VE therefore appeal to all to CO.
operate in diffusing such a righteous
sentiment and feeling toward all
classes, conditions and races of men
that international arbitration will be
| resOrted to as the best means of Sc
curing peace whenever diplomacy
fails.
TO such a sentiment and feeling
when awakened the law-making and
treaty-making powers of the govern
ment will readily respond. Several ma
| tions have already signified their readi-
ness to enter into treaties providing
for the submission of their cOntrover-
sizes to The Hague tribunal. We urge
upon the government not only to take
suggestions. but also to take the initia-
| tive in negotiating similar treaties with
all nations, whereby they shall agree
to submit to arbitration by the per1na-
nent court of The Hague all difficulties
| which they may fail to adjust by dip
lomatic negotiations, and by which
| they shall further agree not to resort
| in any case to hostile measures of any
| description until an effort has been
| made to settle any matter in dispute
by submitting the same to The Hague
| tribunal.
| THE conference considers it of great
importance that the arbitration trea-
ties signed by the republics of all the
states of the Western hemisphere at
the conference held at Mexico City in
1901 and 1902 should be ratified at the.
earliest practicable day.
| I'VE favor the coming together Of
representatives, of all nations disposed
| TO join in the movement in pursuance
of some plan mutually agreed upon for
| the purpose of comforting together con-
corning matters of common interest,
to the end that the general welfare of
all the nations may be promoted.
DIR. Hale addressed the conference
| briefly. referring to the death during
| the past year of Frederick w. Hollis
and William F.. Dodge. There would
| probably. he said. have been no tribun-
| al at The Hague had it not been for
| Mr.. Hollis, who worked indefatigably
| for its establishment and who was sec
| rotary of the American delegation at
| The Hague and the historian of the
| tribunal.
| Justice Brewer. of the United States
| supreme court, reminded his hearers
| that great reforms move slowly and
] so it must be with the general adoption
| of arbitration in the settlement of in
| tcrnational disputes. The day of uni
| versal peare is yet far away but il is
| surely coming. He said arbitration has
| the power Of public opinion behind it.
which after all, is supreme. The in
| stitution Of the Hague tribunal. said
| Judge Brewer, was the beginning Of
| the end of war
| Congressman Bartholdt, OF Missouri
who organized i'm Congress last winter
a group of the er-parliamentary
union. addressed the conference on
| that subject.
| Other speakers were Gen. o. o
| Howard, Gen. J. VI. Russell, Prof. J.
II. Scott. ]. II. Paterson, Sgnor
| Agnoli. Congressman Baker. Cant.
| Richmond p. Hobson. and Senior Gam
bra. the Mexican delegate to The
| Hague.
| The first speaker at the closing ses-
| sion of the arbitration conference was
Robert Lansing of Washington, ASSOC
ciate counsel in the Alaskan boundary
case.
The following resolutions were
adopted by the conference:
Resolved: That this conference en-
dorse the sentiments expressed by
President Mckinley in his annual mes
sage of 1895 and reiterated by Presi-
dent Roosevelt in his annual message
of 1903 in favor of the exemption OF
unoffending private property at sea
from capture during war as such a
| rule would tend to minimize and al
leviate the disastrous consequences of
| war.
| "Resolved: That the President of
this conference appoint committee
of three to prepare and present to the
President of the United States. the
secretary of state, and both houses of
Congress. a memorial urging that an
International congress be called to con-
slider. this question with a view Of in
cooperating into the permanent law Of
civili ed nations the principles Of the