The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-04-16
CRUSADE FOR WORLD PEACE
LAUNCHED AMID ENTHUSIASM
Roosevelt and Root Warn National Conference Of
Impractical Plans and Urge Interna-
tionaI Arbitration Treaty at
The Hague

tho alliance and sympathy Of the
American government with that
other power--the sentiment OF hu'
maity-which In all lands, and most
strongly in our generation, without
fleets or armies or titles or dignities
or compulsion Of force is leading
mankind continually to nobler life.
The American people ar practical,
material, strenuous in business,
eager sor wealth. energetic in pro
lduction and venturous- In commerce,
,insistent upon their rights proud Of
their country. jealous OF it's power
and its prestige; but there Is Strain
OF idealism in the American nature
which saves our nation from the
grossenss Of sordld materialism and
makes it responsive to every appeal
in behalf of liberty ana righteousness.
OF peace with Justice, and of human
| brotherhood the world over. No
American government could truly rep
resent Its people If it did not sympa-
which this congress meets to promote
and the American government of to-
day does sympathize heartily with
those purposes. In behalf of the gov
eminent give you the kindly and ap
preciative greeting of the people of
the United States and welcome you
as spiritual kindred of those Ameri-
cans Of great heart and clear intelli-
gefce who in times past. striving for
ordered liberty and the peace of jus
.tice in this land, have conferred in
estimable benefits upon all mankind,
and whose memory and example are
our nose precious possessions.
1T Is common saying that the
world is ruled by. foree-that the ulti
mate sanction for the rules OF right
cDndnct between nations is the pos
siiiility Of war. That is less than
half truth. There was a time when
the official intercourse between ma
tions which we call diplomacy con
sisted chiefly Of bargaining and
largely Of cheating in the bargain.
Diplomacy now consits chiefly In |
making national conduct conform or |
appear to conform to the rules which |
codify, embody, and apply certain
moral standards evolved and ac-
cepted In the slow development of
civilization. The continual and un |
ceasing process of diplomatic inter-
course by which these standards are
pressed upon the government of
every nation, backed by the tremen-
dous power Of the opinion of the
civilized would, enforced by the de-
sire for the good opinion and appre-
hension of the disfavor of mankind.
form strong external restraint upon
national conduct; and these stand
ards have been created by the evolu-
tion of moral as opposed to physical
forces.
THE value of declaring a principle
arbitration convention agreed upon in
the International Peace Conference
al The Hague in 1899. That conven-
tion did little more than to declare
principles; 1t provided machinery by
which there might be arbitration. but
it bound nobody to arbitrate, or to
or to accept mediation. The
machinery provided has been little
used the arbitrations at The Hague
have been few and not of the first
order of importance; yet no one can
for q moment question the enormous
impetus given TO the principle or arbi.
tration of International controversies
in lieu OF war by that open and public
declaration that such controversies
ought TO be arbit rated.
"Thc first conference relegated TO
a future conference the consideration
OF three broad, general questions af-
fecting the conduct of nations toward
each other: First, the rights and
duties OF nentrals; second, the in
of private property In
naval warfare; and, third. the bonn
bsfdment OF towns, villages and potts
by. a naval force. II is understood
that all these subjects shall be con-
sidered at the Second Conference.
The First Conference also adopted
Two resolutions relating to naval and
armament The. first was:
The conference Is OF opinion that
the restriction of military charges,
which arc at present heavy burden on
he world. is extremely desirable for
the increase of the material and
moral welfare of mankind
THE second was: In
THE conference expresses the
wish that the governments. taking
into consideration the proposals !
made al the conference. may examine
thc possibility of an agreement as TO {
he limitation of armed forces by land I
and sea and of war budgets
THE government OF the United
States has been Of the opinion that
he subjectmatter OF these res0lu-
ions ought 70 be further considered
and discussed al the Second Confer
snce; that the subject is in the na-
lure Of unfinished business and can
1Of be ignored. but must be dealt