The Washington times., 1906-05-30
PEACE ADVOCATES
ASK DISARMAMENT
Keynote of Address Given
at MOhOnk Conference.
FOSTER FIRES FIRST GUN
FORMER Secretary of State Urges Arbi-
tration in Place of War
like Display.
FOSTER FIRES FIRST GUN

LAKE MOHONK. y. Y. May 20
Disarm" was the slogan of the princi-
pal speakers when the Lake Mohonk
conference on International arbitration
was begun here today.
The keynote was heard in the address
or John w. Foster, former Secretary OF
State. He said:
We congratulate ourselves on the as
sembling Of the twelfth annual confer
ence On international arbitration todav
with the reign of peace among all the
nations of the earth. At some former
meetings there have been in progress
the Japanese-Chinese and the SPANISH
american wars, the Philippine insurrec-
uon' the Boer war. the Boxer outbreak
IN CHINA, the British expeditions to
Tibet. and the great Russo -JapaDese
war. The temple of Janus now stands
closed Let us hope it's votaries may
nave no occasion to open it in our day.
The hopeful promise now is. not only
that peace reigns. but that the nations
are striving to preserve peace The third
meeting % tie american States is about
10 occur I Rio de Janerio TO concert
meaSi-es ICr greater harmony In their
work Of developing commerce, industry
intelligence, and justice. And II is pro-
posed that this assembly In the Western
Hemisphere shall be followed soon by
another conference of all the nations of
the world at The Hague in the interest
Of peace and humanity.
Coming Worlds Congress.
With this iEs pirinc picture before us.
regret 10 have TO direct your attention
20 another phase Of the coming Worlds
Congress which is not 50 encouraging.
The main object of the first Hague con-
ference was expressly set forth in the
program tc De the limitation of the
armame1ts Of the nations. OF late the
Emperor Of Russia has been the sub
1ect OF severe criticism. and even male
oicton- I am pleased to say that too
much praise cannot be bestowed upon
his rescript cOnvoking the conference
OF 1899. No more fOrcible statement has
ever been published of the economic
evils of war and OF the unwisdom and
hurtul effects of the maintenance of
The vast armies and naves of the great
powers of Europe. l have no doubt that
the Gar at that time sincerely de
sired that a limitation might be placed
upon these extravagant and dangerous
expenditures. but the conference did not
have the courage or the viii to meet
this mighty issue.
conference was issued during the prog
reSs OF the Russo-Japancse war by
President Roosevelt. After its close the
Emperor of Russia asked and was ac-
corded the privilege Of sending out the
formal C0nvOcation. The disCOuraglng
feature OF il 10 which l have alluded is
that in the program of subjects TO be
considered the limitation of armaments
has not been included.
Difficulties Encountered.
"I recognize that the Limitation OF
armaments is encompassed with many
difficulties. but it is no more Impossible
of realization than a general arbitration
treaty secured a few years ago Nor
are we without examples to show that
# is possible of pra actical application.
The two SOuthernmost republics of this
hemisphere for a generation or more re-
garded each other as natural enemies.
and they taxed their people TO the stretch
of endurance to keep their armies and
navies on a war footing. But finally
realizing the folly and wickedness Of
such a policy. they recently entered into
treaty of amity and disarmament. they
have reduced their military forces 10
police necessities. and sold their battle
ships and cruisers or converted them
into merchant vessels
Thus Chile and Argentina guarantee
each other peace and autonomy. At
the close of the war OF 1872 the United
States and Great Britain agreed to "A
disarmament of their large naval estab-
Ishments on the Great Lakes. where
fierce conflicts had taken place. a
treaty fixed the limit Of their armed YES
sells on those extensive internal seas.
and for nearly a century we and our
Canadian neighbOrs have lived in peace.
and the immense commercial shipping of
u n rprC n fn1r r0na of sol,
OF war To protect It What the Argen-
tine and Chilean republics and the two
great Arglo-Saxon nations have done is
feasible for all the nations soon to as
semble at The Hague.
Follow Presidents Message.
Il earnestly hope our Government will
follow up the indication made in the
message Of the President. and that its
delegates TO The Hague will take the
lead in bringing about an agreement
among the great powers for a Limitation
and, If possible. reduction in arma-
ment- But 1 do not lose sight Of the
fact that even in our own country the
proposition does not meet with universal
favor. that there Is abroad in this land
Chauvanistic spirit of militarism. and
a disposition TO betlittle the efforts Of
the friends of peace.
80 intelligent person as he who now
Navy. is reported as saying in recent
address that peace societies have never
improved the conditions under which
war is waged, and that the increase
humanity of warfare has come about
through the efforts of warriors He
seems to have forgotten that Grotius
the author of de Jure Bell ct Pacis''
a work which more than any other has
reformed the eXcesses of war. was a
divine, a jurist, and the greatest mod
ern apostle OF peace. also. that when
II became necessary TO frame a code for
the government OF the armies of the
United States during the civil war
which would respond to the highest hu-
manltarian sentiments of the age, Presi-
cent Lincoln entrusted the task, not to
warrior. but TO college professor
and sociolOgist. DR. Lieber
The War and Navy Departments are
constantly appealing to Congress for in
creased appropriations TO put them in
proper condition for war. The lately re-
tired commanding general of the army
. mas announced in a public address that
We must prepare ourselves for the next
war. and a prominent admiral of the
navy goes so far as to indicate tho ma