The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-04-16

do not mean that I believe we can do
nothing to advaHcc the cause of inter
national Ieace. on the contrary. ] he
IIcve We can ID much IN advance H.
provided only We act With sanity. with
self restraint. with power, whlch must
h. the prime qualities la the achieve
menf Of any reform.
~our representatives will 90 10 the
second peace conference at lbs Hague
instructed 10 help Ia every practicable
way Ca hiring some steps nearer com'
pletlon the great work which the frSi
conference lcTan.s-li Is idlc to expect
that task - tremendous can be set
tied by any one or two conferences.
and those who demand the Impossible
from such conference not only pre-
pare acute disappointment for them
selves. but by aronSlrg exaggerated
and barelers hopes which are certain
e. be disappointed play the gnme of
the very men who wish the Conference
to accomplish nothing. II l. not posi-
bile that the conference should Z" more
than certain distance further IN the
fight direction. yet believe that u can
make real progress on the mad toward
international justice, peace aud fair
dealing.
zone 81 the questions. although not
60 my mind one OF the most important.
which will b. brought before the con.
\ ference will 10 that of the limitation
Of ornaments. The United States. ow
Ing 10 IT, peculiar position. has rcgu
lnr army - small NJ 10 IT, iniinlis~nnal
when compared 60 that Of any other
first class power. but the circumstances
which enable this Ia h. ~ are peculiar
81 our caSc aud DO not warrant us IN
assuming the offensive attitude o'
school masters toward other nations
We are no longer enlarglng our navy
We are simply keeping up It's strength
very moderate indeed when cougar
ell with our wealth. population AN,
coast line. for the addition ~ one bat
tlcshlp a year barely enables NJ &
make good the units which become oh
soletc. The most practicable step Il
diminishing the burden ~ expcns'
caused BY the Increasing size OF nava
armamsntS would. I believe. be NJ
agreement limiting the sIzc Of all ship
hereafter a. bc huilt. bat hitherto
has not proved possible 10 get othe
nations 10 agree with ~ ON this point
"Morc important than reducing IN
expense OF the implements of war
the question of reducing the possibl
causes Of war. (which can most cffectr
ally I've done by substituting othe
methods than war for the scttlcmcn
OF disputes. or those other method
the most important which Il now a
: talnable Is arbitration. do not belIcy
that In the world as II actually II II
: possible for any nation 10 agree TO n
: bItrnte all difficulties which may arls
: between itself and other nations. but
do believe that there can he nj III
, time very large increase In the elias
en- OF cases which II n agreed shall !
arbltratcd and that provision can !
; made for greater facility and ccrtaln'
: Of arbitration. I hope 10 see adopted
:, general arbitration treaty among n
= nations, and hope 10 sec The IIag'
. court greatly increased In power m
; pernancncy and the judges In partlc
u lar made permanent aud given nd
u quate salaries. W as 30 make " incrca
q ingly probable that In each case tn
n may como before them they VIII deci'
" between the nations, great or sma
y exactly as a judge within our own III
o It's decides between the individual
e great or small. who come before hll
" Doubtless many other matters will
D taken up at The Hague, but u seems
y me that this OF general nrbitrath
treaty Is perhaps the most-lmDortanl
q -.@>-~Scs-AAs'