Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-04-18
They talk PEACE
The National Arbitration and Peace
Conference Was Addressed
by Secretary Root
PLANS MUST Be PRACTICAL
A Letter From President Roosevelt
Expressed BELIEF that Visionary
Impractical Suggestions Were
Mora Harmful than Helpful. =

President Roosevelt and Secretary
h Root that II success Is to crown the
efforts Of those working for universal
peace their endeavor must be along
practical lines, the National Arbitra.
: ton and Peace conference Monday be-
) gan its real activities.
Secretary Root in his speech point
, ed out the propositions which the
United States government will have
10 make at the coming conference at
, The Hague. He warned his hearers
, not to expect too much at this second
conference. The President, in a let
| ter to the congress, expressed the
hope that the coming conference might
result in the adoption of an interna-
tional arbitration treaty. Secretary
Root, after seconding this hope, de-
clared the United States thought 1t
proper to urge again the discussion
Of the subject OF the limitation Of arma
ment OF the nations on land and sea,
and the abolition of the practice OF
using force in the collection or debts
owed by one nation to the citizens of
another
A letter from President Roosevelt
addressed to Andrew Carnecia was
read to the congress, He said in part:
"Mr. Root will speak to YOU at
length, and no man In the country Is
better fitted than he to address you
on the subject you have so much at
heart; for no man has in keener or
more practical fashion, or with no.
Ter disinterestedness Of purpose,
used the national power to further
what believe to be the national pur-
pose of bringing nearer the day when
the peace Of righteousness. the peace
of justice, shall obtain among ma
tons"
The president wished hearty God
speed to the associations efforts and
at the same time beseeches that
1t "be remembered that though It is
our bounden duty to work for peace,
yet It is even more our duty to work
for righteousness and Justice"
1.-THE peoples Of the world have ad-
vanced unequally along the road that
leads to Justice and fair dealing, one
with another EXACTLY as there has
been unequal progress In securing
such justice by each within its own
borders); and the road stretches far
ahead even Of the most advanced.
Harm, and not good, would result If
the most advanced nations, those in
which most freedom for the individ-
ual Is combined, with most efficiency
in securing orderly Justice as between
individuals, should by agreement dis
arm and place themselves at the
mercy Of other peoples less advanced,
Of other peoples still in the stage of
military barbarism or military despot-
ism. Anything in the nature Of gen.
eral disarmament would do harm and |
not good II It left the civilized and
peace loving peoples, those with
the highest standards Of municipal
and international obligation and duty,
unahla. to check the 1othar neoples
who have no bdch standards, who
acknowledge no such obligations.
1T behooves all of US to remember
that there are few more mischleyous
things than uttering or appIauding
sentiments which cannot be trans
lated from words into deeds.
these warnings that have uttered
do not mean that believe we can do
nothing to advance the cause of inter
national peace On the contrary,
believe that we can do much to ad-
vance 1t, provided only we act with
sanity, with selfrestraint, with pow
er; which must be the prime qualities
in the achievement of any reform.
more important than reducing the
expense Of the implements Of war is
the question Of reducing the possible
causes Of war which can most eff
fectually be done by substituting
other methods the most important
which is now attainable is arbitration.
l do not believe that in the world as
1t actually Is It is possible for any
nation to agree to arbltrate all diff
culties which may arise between IT,
self and other nations; but do be-
lieve that there can be at this time q
very large increase in the classes Of
cases which It Is agreed shall be
arbitrated and that provision can be
made for greater facility and certain
ty OF arbitration. l hope to see
adopted a general arbitration treaty
among the nations; and l hope to
see the Hague court greatly increased
In power and permanency and the
judges IN particular made permanent
and given adequate salaries 90 as to
make It increasingly probable that In
each case that may come before them
they viii decide between the nations
great ar small, exactly as a Judge
within our own limits decides between
the individuals, great or small, Who
comes before him"
Wisconsin Gets Local Option.
a.