The Washington times., 1905-12-05
The Hague conference It is essential
not TO be nisled by one set OF extrem-
lists any more than by the other.

an Individual to work for real peace.
assuredly II Is failure OF duty not so
to strive: but IL war is necessary and
righteous ther either the man or the
nation shrinking from it forfeits oil title
to self-respect We have scant sym
pathy with the sentinentaiist who
breads oppression less than physical suf-
fering. who would prefer shameful
peace to the pain and toll sometimes
lamentabIy necessary in order to secure
righteous peace.
As vet there is only partial and i'm
perfect analogy between international
law and internal or municipal law. be-
cause there is no sanction OF force for
executing the former while there is in
the case of the latter. The private citi-
zen is protected in his rights by the law,
because the law rests in the last resort
upon force exercised through the forms
of law. A man does not have to defend
his rights witn his own hand. because
he can call upon the police, upon the
sheriff's posse, upon the militia. or in
certain extreme cases upon the army. to
defend him. But there is no such sane
tion of force for international law
A Great Calamity.
at present there could be no greater
calamity than for the free peoples, the
enlightened, independent, and peace
loving peoples. to disarm while yet
leaving 1t open to any barbarism or
despotism to remain armed.
So long as the world is as unorganized
as now. the armies and navies Of those
peoples who on the whole stand for jus
tice, offer not only the best but the only
possible security for a just peace For
Instance, If the United States alone, or
in company only with the other nations
that on the whole tend to act Justly.
disarmed. we might sometimes avoid
bloodshed, but we would cease TO be Of
weight in securing the peace OF justice
the real peace for which the most law
abiding and high-mindeG men must at
times be willing TO fight. AS the world
is now, only that nation is equipped for
peace that knows how TO fight and that
will not shrink from fighting if ever the
conditions become such that war is de
manded in the name of the highest
morality
So much il Is emphatically necessary
10 say in order both that the position
OF the United States may not be mis-
understood, and that a genuine effort to
I oring nearer the day OF the peace Of
justice among the nations may not be
hampered by folly which. in striving
to achieve the impossible. would render
it hopeless 10 attempt the achievement
Of the practical.
But while recognizing most clearly all
above set forth. it remains our clear
DUTY ito strive in every practicable WAY
10 bring nearer the time when the sword
shdIi not De the arbiter among nations.
A Substitute for War.
At present the practical thing 70 do
is to try 10 minimize the number OF
cases in which it must be the arbiter.
and 10 offer, a least to all civilized
powers. some substitute for war which
will be available in at least consider
able number Of instances. Very much
can be done through another Hague
conference in this direction. and / most
earnestly urge that this nation do all in
its power to try to further the move
ment and to make the result of the de-
cisions of The Hague conference ef-
fective.
I earnestly hope that the conference
may be able TO devise some way to
make arbitration between nations the
customary way OF settling international
disputes in all save a few classes of
cases. which should themselves be as
present governmental and social devel-
Opmeut Of the world will permit. If
possible. there should be a general ar
bitration treaty negotiated among all
the nations represented at the confer
ence. Neutral rights and property
should be protected at sea as they are
protected on land. There should be an
international agreement to this purpose
and a similar agreement defining con-
traband of war
During the last century there has
been a distinct diminution in the num-
Der Of wars between the most civilized
nations International relations have
become closer, and the development Of
The Hague tribunal is not only
symptom of this growing clOseness Of
relationship, but is a means by which
the growth can be furthered. Our aim
should be from time to time to take
such steps as may be possible toward
creating something like an organization
of the civilized nations. because as the
world becomes more highly organized
the need for navies and armies will di-
minish
Check Military Expenditure.
Ii is not possible to secure anything
l
cause Il would first be necessary to set
tie what peoples are on the whole a men
ace 10 the rest Of mankind. and 10 pro
vide against the dIsa armament Of the rest
being turned into a movement which
would really chiefly benefit these OBJ
noxious peoples; but ii may be possible
TO exercise some check upon the tenden-
cy 10 swell indefinitely the budgets for
military expenditure. OF course. such
an effort could succeed only If II did not
attempt to do too much; and If il were
undertaken in spirit Of sanity as far
removed as possible from a merely hys-
terical philanthropy
It is worth while pointing out that
since the end of the instruction in the
Philippines this nation has shown its
practical faith in the policy of disar-
nameEt by reducing its little army
one-third. But disarmament can never
be of prime Importance there is more
need to get rid of the causes Of war
than of the implements of war.
l have dWelt much on the dangers
10 be avoided by steering clear Of any
mere foolish scntimentality because my
wish for peace is so genuine and earn