New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-06


Lsanentable and evil thing. a wanton or useless
WAR. or war OF mere aggression-in snort
any war begun or carried en- in d constituencies
tsprft-fs to be condemned as a peculiarly afro
.cious crime against all humanity. We can,
however. do nothing Of permanent value noo
speace unleSs keep clearly In mind the
iethical element which lies at the root OF 19e
problem Our aim is righteousness Peace Is
normally the handm2ioen OF righteousness oue
when peace and Righteousness conflict then d
fxrest and upright people can never Tor d
moment hesitate to follow the path which leads
toward righteousness even though that path
also leads 10 There are persons VINO adSo-
waite peace at any price; there are Others Wiio
following false analogy, think that because IL
ss no longer necessary in civilized countries ior
individuals to protect their rights with strons
be GRADY TO defend their rights. These persons
would do irreparable harm to any nation that
adopted their principles, and even as IL IS they
seriously hamper the cause which they advocate
by tending 20 render it absurd In the eyes OF
sensible and patriotic men, There can De
no worse foe OF mankind in general. ana OF ms
own country in particular, than the deHia-
Yogue of war the man who in mere folly or 70
serve his selfish ends continually rams AT
and abuses other nations. who seeks to excite
his countrymen against foreigners on insun-
,rient nreteyts who excites and infames per-
s,a~sa n,6 q rr-,essi,-a ,ationel vanity and who
may occasions wantonly bring on CONNECT
Between his nation and some other nation.
1 But there are demagogues
BE NOT MISLTlD Of peace just as there are
BY EXTREMISTS. demagogues OF war. and
in any such movement as
EThis for the Hague conference it is essential
mot to be misled by set Of extremists any
more than by the other. Whenever 1t is pos
sibie for nation or an individual TO work Tor
geai peace, assuredly 1t is failure Of duty not
so 10 strive: but IL war is necessary and right
heous then either the man or the nation shrink
Eng from it forfeits all title 20 self-respect-
! We have scant sympathy with the sent-
Esnentassst who breads oppression less than
1eace TO the pain and toll sometimes lamentabiy
Necessary in order TO secure righteous peace.
Jas yet there is only q partial and Imperfect
ANALOGY between International law and internal
Los municipal law, because there Is sanction
spf forcs for executing the former while there
By in the case of the latter. The private citizen
Us protected IN his rights by the law, because
assed through the forms Of law. A man does not
ssnFe 10 defend his rights with his own hand,
Seea1se he can call upon the police upon ahe
textreu1e cases upon the army, to defend him.
Rut there is no such sanction OF force for inter-
national law. At present there could be no
&reater calamity than for the free peoples, the
sanlightened. independent and peace loving peo-
soles. 20 disarm while yet leaving 1t open to any
herbarism or despotism 20 remain armed So
Bong the world is unorganized as now, the
Asn1ies and nsvies Of those peoples who on the
Fwhole stand for justice offer not only the best
But the only possible security for just peace.
Hor instance if the United States alone, in
ksoupany only with the other nations that on
Ahe whole tend to act justly. disarnled. might
ito be Of weight in securing the peace of justice
s-the real peace for which the most law abiding
xsr1d high minded men must at times be willing
Us equipped for peace that knows how to fight
End that Will not shrink from fighting If ever
ananded in the name of the highest morality.
So much it is emphatfcally necessary to say In
oTder both that the position of the United States
enay not be misunderstood, and that genuine |
effort to bring nearer the |
$40 FURTHER day Of the peace of Justice |
SECOND HAGUE among the nations may !
CONFERENCE. not be hampered by +,
folly which, in striving to |
schieve the impossible, would render it hopeless
10 attempt the achievement of the practical. But
ewhile recognizing most clearly all above set FORTH
st remains clear duty to strive in every prac-
Sicable way TO bring nearer the time when the |
Eword shall not be the arbiter among nations. At
present the practical thing do is to try to min
En1ize the number of cases in which 1t be the
rbiter, offer, least TO all civilized pow
GERS some substitute for war which Will be avail
able in at least considerable number Of in
stances. Very much be done through an
other Hague conference in this direction, and
most earnestly urge that this nation do all IN
its power to try to further the movement and
TO make the result OF the decisions of The
Hague conference effective. / earnestly hope
that the conference may be able to devise some
way to make arbitration between nations the |
customary way of settling international dis |
putes in all save a few classes of eases, which |
should themselves be sharply defined and |
rigfdly limited the present governmental and |
social development Of the world will permit. II |
possible, there should be general arbitration |
treaty negotiated among all the nations repre- |
scented at the conference. Neutral rights and |
property should be protected at they are |
protected on land. There should be an interna-
fional agreement TO this purpose and similar |
agreement defining contraband OF war.
During the last century there has been dis |
tinct dininution in the number of wars between |
frtons have become closer and the development |
Cf the Hague tribunal is not only a symptom |
fof this growing coseness of relationship. but is
a means by which the growth be furthered |
Our aim should be from time to time TO take |
fsuch steps may be possible toward creating |
something like an organization of the civilized |
nations because as the world becomes more |
mighty organized the need for navies and ar |
isnfeS will diminish 1t is not possible to secure
snything like immediate disarmament, be I,
scause it would first be necessary settle what
peoples are on the whole menace to the rest |
OF mankind, and TO provide against the disarm- !
lament OF the rest being turned into move |
tnnept which would really chiefly benefit these |
apbnoxious peoples; but it may be possible TO |
tsXercise some check upon the tendency to swell |
Indefinitely the budgets for military expenditure
iOf course. such effort could succeed only II
5t did not attempt TO do too much; and If it |
were undertaken in a spirit OF sanity as far |
removed possible from merely hysterioal
ipssudo- philanthropy. 1t IS worth while pointing
;out that since the end of the instruction in
.she Philippines this nation has shown Its prac-
Etieal faith I'm the policy Of disarmament by re-
tducing Its little army one-Lhird But dIsarma- |
tFnent can never be OF prime Importance; there |
Ifs more need to get rid of the causes Of war |
than OF the implements of war.
have dwet much on the dangers to be
avoided by steering clear of any mere foolish |
asentimentslity because my wish for peace is
$50 genuine and earnest: because have real
and great desire that this second Hague con- |
ference may mark long stride forward in the |
direction Of securing the peace of justice |
throughout the world. No object is better
worthy the attention of enlightened statesman |
ship than the establishment of surer method |
than now exists OF securing justice between |
nations. both for the protection OF the little
.ttons and for the prevention of war between the
big nations TO this aim should endeavor |
not only TO avert bloodshed, but, above all, |
effectively TO strengthen the forces of right The
Golden Rule should be, and the world grows |
IN morality 1t will be, the guiding rule OF con- |
duct among nations among individuals; |
though the Golden Rule must not be construed, |
in fantastic manner, as forbidding the exercise
-