Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-11-22
Peace AMBASSADORS
BRING GOOD REPORTS
GEN. HORACE PORTER AND JOS.
EPH H. cHoATE BACK FROM
HAGUE CONFERENCE.
DID MUCH TO LESSEN
THE HORRORS OF WAR

, I'LL WOSF1 ~ IEo0EN
THE HORRORS OF WAR
America Took the Lead in Many HUI
nane Propositions Obligatory
Arbitration Favored, But Not
Adopted.
New York, Nov 6-Gen. Horace
Porter and Joseph H. Choate, two of
the American ambassadors to the re-
cent peace conference at The Hague
returned home Tuesday on the steamer
| Kronprinzessin Cecilie and will go on
to Washington in few days to sub.
nit report to the president. Both
Gen. Porter and Mr.. Choate expressed
themselves as being entirely satisfied
with the results of the second confer
ence. Because two of the principal
propositions before the conference
| obligatory arbitration and limitation Of
| ornaments failed to take positive
form, Mr.. Choate said the idea pre-,
| vailed in some quarters that little had
been accomplished. This view, he de,
clared, would be dispelled when the
| results of the conference were studied
| and their far-reaching effect fully re,
| allied.
| To Force Arbitration.
No less than IA conventions, dealing
with various phases of war, were
adopted, end the conference also de,
clafed in favor of many more propo.
sitions, among them the doctrine OF
obligatory arbitration. One of the
| principal conventions-adopted unani,
mously-was the proposition offered
by the American delegation through
Gen. Porter and designated 'the Por.
ter proposition" The convention pro,
| h1blts the use of armed force for the
| recovery of contractua1 debts until all
efforts at arbitration have failed. The
Importance of the convention was EN-.
| phasized by the fact that it was signed
| by every creditor and debtor nation,
| Article 1 of the convention reads:
The contracting powers are agreed
not to have recourse to armed force
for the recovery of contractual debts
| claimed from the government of one
country by the government of another
| country as due to its citizens. How.
ever. this stipulation shall not apply
| when the debtor state refuses or
leaves without reply an offer of arbi.
| tration, or in case of acceptance, rem,
ders impossible the establishment of a
compromise, or after arbitration does
not conform to the award"
| Discussing the work of the confer.
ence, Gen. Porter said:
| War Is More Remote.
Il think it will be fully recognized
when the work of the conference is
studied and understood, that if this
conference had succeeded in adopting
only one of the IA conventions finally
agreed upon it would have repaid the
nations for bringing it about.
| War seems remote now, but we
! have done much to ameliorate the
horrors of it If It should occur. We
have provided for the better protec.
ton of prisoners and wounded and for
fuller recognition of the Red Cross
and other societies in the interests of
humanity.
! This was the first time that all the
nations of tie globe ever met in
amlcable Conference. The debates
were interesting and intelligent. There
was no acrimony; not harsh word
i was uttered. Everywhere was evident
an earnest desire to bring the people
together, and when the text of the Ia
i adopted conventions is studied every
! one will be struck by their import
ance, not only as affecting the present
but as indicating still better results at
i the next conference. One of our most
important works was tie agreement
to hold the next conference in eight
years-the same period that elapsed
between the first and second meetings
at The Hague. This, we believe, will
insure hereafter the automatic gath.
i ering of peace conferences.
| America Urged Arbitration.
| "One of the two things which failed
! to take positive form at the confer
ence was obligatory arbitration. The
United States delegation pressed this
proposition to a vote and it received
~ out of A votes in the conference.
But two or three large powers were
not willing to go that far at this time.
They would only agree to announce
/ their endorsement of the principle of
the thing. The conference, you know,
was not one where majority ruled.
Neither were there rules for cutting
OFF debate and demanding a vote.
Wouldn't Limit Armaments,
THE second proposition which fall
ed was that dealing with limitation Of
ornaments. The attitude of several of
the great nations taken in advance of,
the conference made it known that
this proposition could not be accom-
plished. One nation wanted to remain
mistress of the SEAS Another con-,
tinental nation, which had been sub
ject to attack in the past, was reluct-
ant to reduce Its means of defense.
Some thought that for power like
America to urge another power to
diminish its right to arm for protec-
ton was asgood deal like that nation
asking New York city to reduce its
police force"
| Woman Poet Suicide.
| San Francisco, Nov. 16-Nora May