Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-08-31
ASKS EUROPEAN NATIONS TO
UNloNlZE WITH AMERICA.
W0ULDD0AW AYWITHW
President Richard BarthoIdt Of the
American InterparIiamentary Group
Delivers interesting Address at 18th
Conference OF Interparliamentary
Union at Brussels.

Brussels, Aug. 30.--One OF the prin-
cpal features at the 18th conference
OF the lnterparliamentary union was
the address by President Richard
Bartholdt of the American nterparia'
mentary Group HIS theme was the
American Proposition for the Consll-
tuition OF a Permanent Congress OF the
Nations He spoke In part as follows:
III Europe should refuse 10 adopt
arbitration, II it should continue the
Increase OF It's ornaments, might not
the United States find 1t imperative,
for the protection OF its own trade, TO
rival viii Europe In the matter OF
military and naval ornaments. I'm,
agne country with 80 millions Of PEG
pie, with room for hundreds OF millions
more, almost limitlosB In extent ana ma.
tlonal resources, with It's virgin SOIL
and bOundCss wealth, ana with lts
population Il unit of patriotic citizen
ship, imagine such nation TO be I'M
bued with The ambition OF becoming a
great war power? We shWdd9r at the
thought because a reversal OF Amer
cas- traditions would be the tombstone
OF our nope And yet | repeat It, tho
question Is: Shall the United States
arm itself in proportion to It's wealth
and power, and become n menace 10
mankind ana It's own people, or shall
the other nations enter into n union
with It and with each other and thus
secure forever the rights they have
been in perpetual dread OF losing
This Is the real political question in
the international world today.
"The combined wisdom Of all polll
cal parties that ever existed has never
evolved anything better Tor the gov
eminent Of nation than three co,
ordinate departments, the Legislative
the judicial and the executive. What
we propose Is simply to apply this
same rule by which individual nations
are governed to the community of ma
lions by the creation OF an lntorna
tlonal legislature, an international
judiciary and an International oxecu,
tive. To each nation joining The com
munlty of nations in slTrh Legislative
body viii be guaranteed (D territorial
and political integrity and local SOY,
oreIgnty or homo rule; (2) an equal
opportunity to trade abroad, and CD
dTc voice In determining the law to be
recognized by nations in their inter
course with each other? These are
the rights, YOU Will observe, which TO
secure and enjoy has always been as,
signed ms the only reason for the main,
tonance of military systems.
american history Is apt to shed
light on the task of framing constl,
tuition for an international congress,
When the several states entered the
American union many Of them thought
they coulu withdraw at will 1t Is jlrst,
" feared that nations cannot be In
duced to enter congress Of nations
unless they know they can withdraw at
will without causing war, The war In
America over the right of secession
proves the wisdom of concedlng this
right, In creating n congress- of ma.
tions provision for Withdrawing on
three years notice would seem to be
host With the right of withdrawal
conceded, war could not arise over It's
exercise
"A further safety valve will be pro
vided by agreeing that the national
lawmating bodies can veto the acts or
the international congress-, and If It Is
also provided that each nation repre-
scented can make such preparation for
war as II considers necessary in view
of possible dissolution, all objection to
the early creation of such congress
Will be removed.
Would Guard Rights of Man.
Equal representation in senate
where the soyereigns themselves
would assemble or be represented by
two persons named by them. and rep,
resentation in the lower house proper.
Tomato to the nations international
commerce would seem to provide
more equitable basis than population,
because the powers of the congress
world be confined as already stated
10 the intercourse between nations
while the cherished rights of man as
an individual would be guarded by the
state of which he liz a citizen. mil
lion people doing n million dollars
worth of international trade have az
great an interest In that trade and In
the laws governing 1t as ten millions
people doing NO moro international
business. Each nation will be guar,
antccd an equal right to trade through
out the whole world, with the one con,
dition that it may rear against any
other nation tarin wa as high as
that nation constructs around itself.
Upon the approval OF this plan by ma,
tions representing say two-thirds OF
tho people who have established ma.
tional parliaments, Il would become op