Omaha daily bee., 1907-09-16
BARTHOLD BACK FROM HAGUE
Missouri Congressman Optimistic Over
Outcome of Conference.
ARBITRATION PRINCIPLE WINNING
Apostle of Peace Sees Promise of Sue
cess for some of the Policies
He Has Advocated for
Many Years.
fFrom a stan Correspondent }

Of three republican members from ST. Louis |
in the Sixtieth congress has capitalized |
himself as few men have in public life |
He has stood for peace, although the coun-
try OF his birth has times without number |
stood for war.
Born in Germany and imbued with the
spirit of his ancestors, Richard Bartholdt
from the beginning of his career in the |
country. OF his adoption, has raised his
voice in favor of international arbitration. !
Until he entered the Fifty third congress as
a republican, Richard Bartholdt was a
newspaper man and he calls himself news
paper man today, primarily, while second |
arily national lawmaker. Before he took |
up his residence in st. Louis Mr.. Bartholdt
saw every phase of newspaper life in New
York. He was police reporter a municipal
hall reporter correspondent at Albany for
German newspapers, and finally foreign
! editor for the New York Staats Zeitung
under Otto Diffenderfer He edited the st.
1 Louis Tribune until he came to congress.
/ Throughout his newspaper career DR..
Bartholdt has been a firm believer in the
principles of international arbitration in
stead Of the nations resorting to arms. And
he has talked international arbitration in
season and out until he has lived to see
! the nations of the world foregathering at
The Hague and adopting some of the recon-
mendations he has made to the interparlia-
mentary congress, made up of representa-
tives from the worlds parliaments of which
he was at one time president.
First Arbitration Treaty.
In small cottage in the midst of Thur
niger Forest, in Germany, DR.. Barthoidt
prepared the first great international arbi-
tration treaty. which was submitted to the
interparliamentary congress that met in
RFNNE Cnlc
took DR.. Bartholdt six months to complete
after he had received suggestions from the
leading international lawyers of the world
upon the subject matter of his dreams
There were twenty-one questions propounded
10 the nations In this first treaty, with a
request that the nations indicate what uues-
tions they would submit to arbitration and
what questions they were doubtful about
1t lie interesting in this connection that the
progressive nations of the world were WILL
ing to submit all the questions contained
In Dr. Bartholdts draft to arbitration, while
the less progressive, or the retiring nations
hao serious misgivihgs as to a number of
them DR.. Bartholdt. who has Just re-
turned from The Hague conference where
ne was an interested spectator upon the
proceedings OF that great body OF world
statesmen, Is optimistic In his, views as To
the outcome OF their deliberations He be-
lieves that before the conference adtourns
the american idea of permanent arbitra-
uoh court will be adopted and that a tre-
mendous step forward for peace will be the
result.
In the little German town in which Rich
ard Bartholdt first saw the light and on the
! mousse In which he was born there is tab
let inscribed as follows: I'm this house
Richard Bartholdt an American member of
Parliament ~ hnr Aaa
away, in the depths of a German void. this
same Richard Bartholdt wrote an interna-
tional arbitration treaty which is destined
TO make his name famous the world over.
Emcient Men for Pay Corps.
Unless congress reconslders its former
work relative to the four-year detail of
line officers of rank corresponding to that
or vacancies to be flled In certain speci-
fed staff depnrtme lts the extinction II
e stan officers with permanent commissions
1 IN the army will result This is a matter
OF serious discussion with the present pay
master general of the army, Brigader
J General &C. Sniffen, in his report to the
secretary OF war. Until the act Of Febru-
l airy 2 1901, was passed efficient men could
ne appointed to the pay corps whose train
Ing had been along fnanciaI lines book
Keeping and the essentials which go TO
make good paymasters: but under the act
. Of 1901 the appointment from civil life
was done away with and now the vacancies
: to be filled in the pay corps must be made
: from the line Of the army at the whim or
the caprice Of the man In authority, with
n out regard TO the training of the man Sc
lected for paymaster.
a General Sniffen. who. probably, more than
any other man who has occupied the posi-
tion OF paymaster general since the close
I OF the civil war. has been essentially an
i executive man. He has served all through
r the grades Of paymaster to paymaster gen,
eral Before he was appointed to the pay
corps he was one OF President Grants
closest clerks, ana before he was called
to the White House under the Grant ad-
Q ministration he occupied clerical posi-
tion in the War department. His training
has been in a broad school not confined
! TO the line or stan OF the army, but COM
n pretending both the I.ne and stan he has
: brought to the head Of the pay department
- a knowledge which has been accepted by
: his superiors locking to betterments in the
/. pay department.
Detail system I'm Question.
/ The detail system undoubtedly has mucI
e to commend it in time OF peace but in
l. time of hostilities the adequacy Of the de-
tail system when applied to the higher
grades OF major. lieutenant colonel ane
colonel 10 seriously questioned. At sucf
e a time few officers Of the line Of sucf
grades will be found willing to lose theii
y ! chances for commands. distinction and ad
:, vancement and assume the pecuniary re
- sponsibilities and risks which attend tn,
: exIgent and Unfs miliar disbursing dutie.
!. of paymasTers In the field.
ia General Sniffen, who has pronounced
N views upon the question or the detail sys
t tenn. takes the position which has beer
Is held by his two immediate predecessors
r Generals Bates and Dodge, that the ap
) plication of the system should not ex
tend beyond the lowest grade In the army
/. which is that Of captain. and that the thre,
field grades should be permanent Tha
vacancies occurring in the grade Of major
in the pay corps should be filled by tn,
appointment OF captains who have served
OF may be serving a detail and whose Mt
ness for permanent commissions shall b,