New-York tribune., 1907-08-20
THE VISION OF PEACE.

Academic TO the last degree, is the judgment
which many will unhesitatingly pass upon Ine
first important action Of the peace conference
at The Hague at its plenary session Inc ques-
ton OF the limitation Of armaments had peeh
SO much exploited that it seemed 10 pe uie
chief one before the conference, according 10 ltS
action upon which the conference itself would
he adiudged success or a failure. On no other
tonic. nor on all others put together, mad there
heen so much or so insistent popular appeal
If was asked, petitioned, demanded, tnat the
conference if II could not cause the dlSDanu-
ment of armies and the dSmantement OF HeetS'
should at least command cessation OIL reci ui'
ing and of shipbuilding. Yet after deLDefa-
ton In committee at great and, TO many, tedious
length the conference sitting as Whole ue-
clined to take any positive acuon eilner way
on the matter, but contented Itself-H lhueeu
# is coptent-with a resolution confirming that
Of the former conference on the suDJect an"
earnestly commencing the whole matter 10 the
careful consideration of the various govern
ments! There are those who will declare aca-
demic" TO be too tolerant term and VINO VIII
recall the fable of the mountain IN ldpor anu
the ridiculous mouse.
We cannot agree with them, nor can we thlnk
that even the nilder of these judgments Woulu
he Dassed upon the work of the conference
were il not passed so unhesitaungly-Ihat Is to
saw. so hastily and inconsiderately. For even
Mr.. Stead and Mr.. Carnegie will, we imagine
concede that even from their point OF We" ue
conference might have done worse. 1t might
have declared against reduction or Limitation
of ornaments. or it might have refused TO take
nm the question in any way and thus nave
failed even to commend 1t to official STUDY OF
tn reneat the amiable sentiments or 1ts prede-
cessor. If the action of last week was ho'
aggressively good, it surely was not posluveiy
bad. AT worst it was merely neutral, ana II
it was not irenic there surely was some satls-
faction in not having it bellicose
But we are inclined TO think that the more
mature judgment of the world Will go some
what further than that, and will hold that some
nositiye good was gained by the conference in
doing as it did. It is not light thins that
two such gatherings in succession have thus
nlaced their sentiments on record. II IS no
light thing that such a conference as TINS, the
most imposing and authoritative of Its klnu
+ba world has ever seen, has formally anu
strongly recommended that the constituent gov
erpments shall studiously consider the qresuoh
Of limitation Of armaments. 1t IS TO be assumed
that its recommendation will be acted upon
If il is, surely it will be no small matter u
have set all the governments of the world 10
tbfnkin., upon the subject of disarmament 1t
is certain that thinking must precede action
If action Is 10 be effective.
But II VIII be said by some that there has
already been enough thinking about 1t since the
former conference. obviously not else there
would have been other action taken we may
he slre that when the nations have thought
sufficiently upon the matter and are convinced
that disarmament IS practicable and desirah!e
disarmament will be effected; and until that
time is reached there will be no disarmament
resolutions adopted by any international con-
ference or. If there are. they will be as sound
inC. brass and tinklug cymbas. It may yet he
many years before that time comes. II Is
now q century and a half since Rousseau gave
TO the world Saint-Pierres "proJet de fal1 fer-
petuelle" which was simply vision OF IN
+erna+fonal conferences arbitration and dis
armament There IA scarcely an Idea In our
twentieth century irenicons which was not
cherished and expressed by the poor able. II
after q century and a half that vision has not
been realized we can scarcely grow impatient
If the busy years from 1859 to 1907 have failed
TO complete the work