The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-04-16
CRUSADE FOR PEACE
Concluded from First Page

with: that there ought to be at least
az earnest effort to reach, or to make
progress toward reaching. some
Iaereemenpu under which the enormous
Expenditure Of money and the enor-
lmoGs withdrawal Of men from pro
drctive industry for warlike purposes
may be reduced or arrested or re.
ltarded. We have not been inmindful
2f the fact that the question Is one
which primarily and in its present
stage concerns Europe rather than
America that the conditions which
have led To The great ornaments Of
the present day are mainly European
conditions, and that 1t would i'll be-
come us to be forward or dogmatic
| in matter which is so much more
vital to the nations of Europe than
TO ourselves, II sometimes happens
| however thai state having little or
| nc special material interest In pro.
posal can, for that very reason. adj
vance the proposal with the more adj
vantage than the less prejudice. The
American government accordingly, at
an early stage Of the discussion re-
galding the program. reserved the
right to present. this subject for the
consideration OF the Conference. Sew
|eral European powe have also given
notice of their intention to present
the subject. 1t may be that the dis
cnsson viii not bring the Second
Conference TO any definite and prac.
teal conclusion; certainly no such
conclusion can be effective unless Ii
meet with practically universal as
agreement which binds some of the
great powers and leaves others free.
There are serious difficulties in form
nlating any definite proposal which
wcnld not be Objectionable TO some
OF the powers, and upon the question
whether an specific proposal is I'M
fair and injurious to its interests each |
power must be, and is entitled to be,
IFS own Judge
Nevertheless, the effort can be
as it failed in the rrst. but even if ii I
fails one more step will have been
taken toward ultimate success. Long
continued and persistent effort is A.
ways necessary to bring mankind into
with great ideals: every
great advance that civilization has
made on its road from savagery has
been upon stepping-stones of failure,
Ind a good fight brayeIy lost for a
sound principle Is always a victory
The government of the United
States has also considered that the
Second Hague Conference might well
e use of force for the collection Of
ordinary contract debts due by one
government to the citizens of an
ther Y
1T has long been the established
'olicy of the United States not to use
t. army and navy for the collection
# such debts We have not consid,
red the use of force for such pur
ose consistent with that respect for
he independent sovereignty of other
lembers Of the family Of nations
'hlch is the most important principle
I International law and the chief
rejection of weak nations against
ppression. II seems to us that the
ractice is injurious in its general ef-
act upon relations of nations and :
pom the welfare of weak and dis
rdered states, whose development ?
lght TO be encouraged in the inter ,
is of civilization and that II offers 8
equent temptation to bullying and =
Dpression and to unnecessary and y
warfare. 1t may be that u
Ie non-payment of public debts may .
accompanied by such circum. y
ances of fraud and wrong-doing or Y
oation of treaties as to Justify the A
Sc OF force as last resort; but we al
)pe to see an International consid- r
alton of the subject which shall dis q
Intimate between such eases and the q
mple nonpcrfJrmance of a contract nj
th private person, and to see hi
In favor Of reliance ex- ia
usively upon peaceful means in
SEES of the latter class II may lie 81
at the principle OF arbitration can &c
SO extended in its application ca
at the class of Adventures who dc
we long been in the habit of trading st
Ion the necessities of weak and dis Vi
assed governments may be required CO
submit their often exorbitant and c.
considerable demands TO an inn 10
rtial tribunal before which both 50
rites may be heard boh as TO the or
lidity and the amount of their 81
inns .,snd manner. sof payment 10. st