Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-04
THE LIMITATION OF ORNAMENTS.

The president of the council of ministers
OF France. M. Clemenceau speaking at
banquet at HyereS,
NJ <eace October II. was In
Without Force. terrupted by one of
the guests who shout
ed: Talk to us about peace" The minis
| ter turned to the interrupter and solemniy
answered: mo peace is possible without
force. When I came into Office 1 believed
that all European nations were at one In
desiring peace. Almost Immediately, with
out any provocation on our part. storm
of calumny broke over our heads and We
had to ask ourselves: Are We prepared?
This acknowledgment from the chief Of
a party which has heretofore professed
pacifism and anti-militarism is significant.
The ideals of his party are thus confessed
| by NJ. Clemenceau as entirely too high for
humanity. of which NJ. Tarhel has said:
by nature man is imperfect. He cannot
become good any more than he can escape
death. The moralst cannot add an iota to
his capacity for virtue and the physician
cannot add a day to his life.
The declaration OF the German socialist
Bebel that he and his party would defend
their fatherland with their last breath has
proved a salutary lesson which may dis
| sipate the madness of anti-militarism which
| has afflicted the French socialist. Armies
| must be maintained doubtless until the
millennium, but there Is no reason that
their numbers may not be limited by mu-
tual accord. and this question may be the
principal one to engage the attention or
the next peace congress at The Hague.
In connection with the question of limita-
| ton 1t may be suggested that in the distant
future the God OF battles" may be in
yOkcd for the few, as for the many. who
may be chosen to decide in combat some
principle which may not be submitted for
arbitration. There is a precedent IN fact
in the famous Battle Of the Thirty. fought
March 81 1851. at the Chateau de Jossein.
between thirty French chevaliers, partf-
sans of Charles de Blois. and thirty En-
| glsh knights. followers of Jean de Mont
fort. Chevalier Jean de Beaumano!r stood
for the Bretons and Sir scarborough for
| the English. The latter were defeated
and this result was accepted by conclusive
May not the Battle of the Thirty serve
as serious model for the next congress at
The Hague in all questions in which honor
| Is to be maintained only by the shedding Of
blood?
Il
The first International peace congress as
sembled at The Hague May Is, 1899. in re-
Spouse to an invitation ad-
First Peace dressed by the Gear of Rus
r Congress. STA to the principal states of
Europe. but confined to the
United States and Mexico for America. The
object of the congress was to obtain con-
certed action for the maintenance OF a gen.
eral peace and the amelioration Of the
hardships of war, and with a view to the
possible reduction of the military and naval
ornaments of the world. One hundred
delegates composed the congress, in which
| took part the United States. Mexico. China
Japan, Persia. Siam and twenty-one Euro
pean powers
Italy objected to any representation of
the pope and Great Britain protested
against the representation Of the Transvaai
republic. 1t was accordingly decided to re-
strict participation in the congress to
states maintaining standing armies or ma
vies. No delegates from the Central or
South American republics attended.
One of the resolutions considered and
passed by the conference was the opinion
that the limitation Of the military burdens
which now weigh so heavily upon the
world is greatly to be desired for the en-
hancement OF the moral and material we'll
being Of humanity. This declaration was
ing to the rights and duties of neutrals the
inviolablity of private property In mari
time warfare and the bombardment OF
towns were referred to future confer
ence permanent court or arhftra ticn
was created composed OF persons eminent
for their knowledge of international law.
The first resort to the permanent court of,
arbitration was made by the United States
and Mexico in 1902 for the settlement OF
the controversy in regard to the Plus claim.
The regretted Frederick W. Hollis was
the secretary Of the first conference
the proceedings Of the congress under the
title OF The Peace Conference at The
Hague" In the course Of which he said:
The peace conference at The Hague in
1899 has passed into history From the
time of it's inception it has Naturally been
the object of much discussion and Of every
variety of criticism OF enthusiastic well
come it received but little, and even that
little rarely came from leaders of thought
or action. Its lofty aim did not save it
from sarcasm, cynicism and even condem-
| nation. The good faith of the originating
government was openly challenged or de-
rided. At best the idea was patronizngly
called an 'Utopian dream "a misprint
the page of history, according to the
gloomy pessimism of distinguished his
torian."
Mr.. Hollis resumes In his book: THE
Hague conference of 1879 should be re-
garded historically. not as the
A Natural outcome of a sudden impulse
Result. on the part Of the Emperor of
Russia, but the natural and
almost inevitable contamination of move
ment and tendency in European diplomacy
whose beginnings date back to the peace
of Westphalia. The gathering at The
Hague was the lneal descendant, so to
speak. not of the innumerable peace con-
crosses held in various quarters. of the
globe, but of the diplomatic assemblies
called for the purpose Of solving a present
problem and of furnishing guarantees, more
or less permanent. for peace between the
powers represented, beginning with the
conference of Munster and Osnabuck in
! 1913, including those of Utrecht in lib, of
Paris in 1853, and. above all. the congress
of Vienna in 1915 and that of Berlin in
1878"
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