The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-18
Baron de Constant DecOratss IrOnmaster With Cross of
 Legion of Honor STIRRING SPEECHES AT WALDORF AND HOTEL ASTOR Andrew Carnegie, President of the Congress, Replies to Some of the
 Suggestions In a Letter
 of Roosevelt.

New York April 17.-The first conven- ton of the national arbitration and peace congress came to an end today after a three day5' session with two large ban duets one at the Hotel Astor and the other at the Waldorf-Astoria. The event of greatest interest was the decoration of Andrew Carnegie with the Cross of the Legion of Honor by the French govern ment, represented by Baron dEstour- nelles de Constant, in appreciation of his work for peace and his gift of the palace at The Hague.
 MT. Carnegie, who is president of the congress, today gave out 8 statement as to the results of the congress. Although not so designated by MT. Carnegie, the statement constitutes C. reply to some of the suggestions contained in the letter whish President Roosevelt addressed to the congress on its opening day.
 carnegie's Reply.
 MT. Carnegie quotes these statements as "objections' and proceeds to answer them as follows:
 .sOur peace conference has brought three objections clearly before us:
 ..The first. Nations can not submit all questions to arbitration.
 Answer. Six of them have recently done SC by treaty: Denmark The Neth- erlands, Chile and Argentina, Norway a.. Sweden.
 (.sote. Since Norway has just secured independence the treaty provides that it's integrity shall not be questioned, but whether it is or not affected in any dis plte is to be decided by The Hague con- fe-enee}
 50 much for the claims tbat nations cannot submit all questions. They have done it.
 ..secopd. Justice is higher than peace
 Answer. The first principle of natural justice forbids men to judge when they are parties to the issue All law rests upon this throughout the civilized world. Were judge known to sit upon case in which he was secretly interested, he world be dshonored and expelled from his high office. If any individual refuses {, submit his dispute with a neighbor to disinterested parties (arbitrators or iudges), and insists upon being his own juage, he would violate the first prin- ciple of justice. If he resorted to force in defense of his right to judge, he would be dishonored as a breaker of the law. Thus peace with justice is secured through arbitration either by court or by tribunal, never by one of the. parties sitting as judge in his own case.
 Like individuals.
 ''Nations being lly aggregates Of 1n- dividuals, they will not reach justice in their judgments until the same rule holds goo1 viz: That they like individuals, shall not sit as judges in their own case. What is unjust for individuals is unjust for nations. Justice is justice, unchange- able. and should hold universal sway ov1c men and over all nations.
 .'Third It is neither peace nor justice, but righteousness that shall exalt the nation. "Answer. Righteousness is simply do- in.; what is right. What is Just is all ways right; what is unjust is always wrong. It being the first principle Of justice that men shall not be judges in their own case, to refuse to submit to judge or arbitrator is unjust and not right. for the essence of righteousness is justice. Therefore, men who place Jus tice or righteousness above peace, prac- tically proclaim as it appears to me- that they will commit injustice and discard righteousness by constituting themselves sole judges of their own case in violation of law, justice and right
 "Civilization has reached the conclusion that he reaches the claims of justice and right only by upholding the present reign of law. Our pressing duty is to extend its benign reign to combinations of men called nations. What is right for each individual must be right for the nation This union of law and justice, insuring peace and good will among men through disinterested tribunals, is the righteous ness which exalteth nation
 "The demand that interested parties shall sit in judgment is the wckedness that degrades a natlon.''
 Baron Estourneles de Constant an- nounced in his address at the Waldorf Astoria banquet that the cross of con- of ba I apiOp of Honor ba conferred by the French government on Andrew Carnegie, and then proceeded to the banquet at the Hotel Astor, where the decoration was formally presented to MT. Carnegie.
 At the Astor.
 More than 700 guests were at the tables of the peace banquet, presided over by Andrew Carnegie, at the Hotel Astor to- night The flags of the nations were the most prominent feature of the decora- tions.
 Earl Grey.
 The dinner began at 73O o'clock. and it was shortly after 10 o'clock when Mir Carnegie introduced Earl Grey, governor general of Canada, as the first speaker. As the earl was lowing acknowledgement of the applause there came roll of drums and flare of trumpets.
 That said the speaker. sounds very much like a military note."
 When the laughter had subsided, Earl Grey proceeded with his address
 Earl Grey concluded by reading tele- gram from the speaker of the Canadian senate, as follows:
 "A Canadian group of members of parliament numbering 150 was formed this !, morning and have joined the inter-parlia- X mentary union for peace. They send [ rreetjngs to their American cousins who are working to the same end" Mexican Ambassador. Mr Carnegie then introduced Enrique \ r,reei inc Mexican ambassador who said: \ .I5Sa excellency, Gen. Porfiro Diaz, E1.kasnt of the Mexican republic, wishes