New-York tribune., 1908-05-21
MOHONK CONFERENCE
John ". Foster Criticises Cruise of
Battleship Fleet.

! Lake Mohonk, n. Y. May 20-The friends of
| peace and arbitration called on at the open
| ing of the Lake Mohonk Conference on Interna-
tional Arbitration to-day to oppose the 'clamor to
! place the United States footing COM
mensurate with the martial nations Of Europe
John ". Foster, former Secretary of State and the
presiding officer of the conference. declared in his
opening address that the dispatch of the battle
ship fleet to the Pacific and 'senseless Of
| coming with Japan have caused this awak-
ened spirit of militarisn-
The session was opened by Albert K Smiley. the
founder and host of the conference This was fol-
lowed by the opening address of Mr.. Foster. who
said in part:
Three events OF the last year have greatly ad-
vaneed the cause of internationa peace and arbi
the second peace conference at The Hague. which
porfan} event in the History Of the Human race 1t
did not accomplish all that the ardent friends Of
tration. but a marked advance was made in that
The second event of Importance was the peace
conference of the Central American sta tes held IN
ures were agreed upon and put into the, shape OF
treaties tending to promote harmony and PGeSerse
publfcs. which have in the past been the scene Of
Of WRch Was the te esabisR@ent Of an
court for these republics before which al quest3ns
among them are to be brought IN the future Ior
peaceful determination 1t is the first time in the
haoHa hso Of rsdha haa 6af ses @c nd its
opsrat1on will be watched with much interest
of the Secretary Of State Nj Root IN nesotiat ing
them some of the most powerful. including
northern and southern neighbors: and in securing
To those of US in the tinted States who believe
that arbitration is a wise and practicable suosti.
in this country during the last year has been
dispatch Of our great feet Of bateships and their
in military annals heretofore Unprecedented and
the senseless runors of a coming war with Japan
have been the occasion Of this awakened spirit of
! have had some opportunity to study the spirit
and policy of the nations OF Europe and the East
danger to our peace and safety. In my opinion
there there never was time when there was less less hken, @
to-day. It behooves the friends OF peace and arbf
this carnor TO place our Republic on a war footing
commensurate with that Of the martial nations OF
Europe.
Benjamin F Trueblood of Boston. then deliv-
cred address on THE Gains of Arbitration Dur
ing the Last Year and James Brown Scott solicit
tor of the State Department and mernber Of the
Hague Conference. spoke The Work of the
Second Hague Conference Edwin D. Mead. Of
Boston declared that the triumphs Of the peace
cause in the last decade had been amazing, and
Of The Outside Aspects Of the Conference at The
Hague The Rev Philip Moxorn. of Springfield.
Mass. said the most hopeful sign OF the present
time the manifest growth OF anti-war senti-
ment and conviction among the people.
Several addresses having important bearing
on the subject OF the conference were made at to-
nights session A paper prepared by Joaquin Ber-
nardo Calvo. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary Of Costa Rca to the United States
read by Clinton R Woodruff. secretary of the
conference. the writer having been called home.
Other speakers were John Barrett. director OF the
International Bureau Of American Republics. Pro-
fessor William r. Sheppard. OF Columbia Univer-
sity: W r. Frear. Governor Of Hawaii: ex-senator
Charles F. Henderson, of Nebraska, and Professor
John b Clark, OF Columbia University.