New-York tribune., 1905-11-13
THE PEACE CONGRESS.

That tho mowers would all accept the invita-
ton to the second peace congress at Inc 1asue
was confidently expected, but that Iact makes
their doing So which is now announced, no less
welcome The assurance that the congress VIII
be held. probably within the next half year, Is
generally gratifying, but to no nation more than
to the United States. For. while the voice Oh
invitation is the voice of Russia the hand that
opens the door is the hand Of America. 1t was
indeed the voice of America that hrst proposeu
the congress: and when all powers Dut one az
cepted the proposal, and that one accepteu II
conditionalIv it was the benevolently bold action
of the American President that supplied that
favorable condition and so made universal ac-
ceptance possible Had there been no confer
ence and Treaty of Portsmouth, there couio
have been no new congress at The Hague.
Having thus made the peace congress possible
the American government can complacently re-
NIT the formal details of the summons 10 lts
Russian neighbor and can regard win SUD-
stantial satisfaction the preparation by Russia
of a tentative programme OF topics 10 De coli-
sidered. From one point OF view Russia Is
pre-eminently we'll fitted to suggest sucn a pro-
gramme. She has lately been great sufferer
| from the evils of war, and not only from the
| evils of actual war, but also from those or
| militant spirit unhappily predominant over
! concliatory and peaceful spirit, and she there
| fore can speak most feelingly upon the suDJect
We have hitherto pointed out that the late war
was suggestive of many practical topics Tor
Internal tiona1 discussion and agreement, for the
| regulation of methods Of warfare and for ways
and means Of making war as little troublesome
as possible to acknowledgements. II because OF
the lessons and suggestions of that war the
coming conference shall be fruitful of benetcent
| agreements the world will be in some measure
repaid for what is has suffered and has lost.
But it may not be amiss to repeat the sincere
| hope that two fundamental principles VIII De
! kept clearly in mind by the Russian govern
ment in preparing the programme and by the
! Congress itself In disposng Of it. These are
first, that the work of a peace congress is to
make for peace and not merely for the regula-
! ton of war and second, that the work OF a
! universal congress is to make for the general
welfare and not merely to serve the special
needs of one or two powers. We place high
valuation upon the work done by the former
peace congress for the mitigation Of the horrors
of war, and we shall hail with sincere gratih-
cation a further extension of such work. But
we shall hope to see something also done for
the mitigation Of the dangers and possibilities
of war To cure a disease is good. 10 lessen
the violence of its symptoms Is good But lt Is
better and best of all to prevent Its occurrence.
To that end it is most desirable TO aoopt meas
ures of general rather than Of special accepta-
bility 1t is not what one nation, IN its special
49,
sirable-which means selfishly Advantageous
but what is best for all or for most that should
prevail It is 1.-The common sense OF most that
is to hold a fretful realm in ave." and 1t is
the welfare of all most OF the nations that
IS ultimately to prescribe the conditions of uni
versal peace.
That the coming conference at Inc hague
will do something and more than one thing,
that will practically make for peace we are
forbidden to doubt. In any case, it Will do the
great good of turning the minds OF the nations
end of their rulers peaceward 1t Is A noble
thing to think Of peace and TO speak of peace
rather rhan of war. At the London LORD
Msyor's dinner the other evening Mr.. Balfour
said: "A century ago Pitt, standing where L
snow stand prophesied war; to-day prophesy
"neace" Pitts prophecy was fulfilled, as it
was hound to be in those days Of violence. In
those happier days may well hope that Mr-
Ralfour's prophecy will also be fulfilled. For
to-day the inspiring spectacle is presented of
tbe five chief powers of the world not only
sneaking for peace but also impelled toward
seeking and maintaining peace by the strongest
irnpuIses and influences Of self-interest Great
Britain France, Germany, Russia, America-it
would be madness to say that any of these was
desrous of war or was not earnestly desirous
of peace and if they for peace, who shall
be against it?