Evening star., 1908-01-21
DISCUSSION OF PEACE
STRAUS AND E. D.
MEAD EXPRESS VIEWS.

International peace was the subject for
discussion at Foundry NJ. E. Church Sum-
day evening, the speakers being Oscar s.
Straus. Secretary of Commerce and La
Dor. and Edwin d. Mead of Boston. Ac-
eording to the formal program Secretary
Straus was supposed merely to introduce
Mr.. Mead, and the latter. in turn, was to
make an address on The United States
and the United World" But in his intro
ductory remarks the Secretary enlarged
upon many of his own views concerning
the best methods to insure universal
peace. and 1t happened that they did not
coincide with the opinions of the other
speaker, SO the large audience heard
spirited discussion.
Citing the North sea incident. when the
Russian fleet. under command Of Admiral
RoJestvensky, en- route to subsequent an
nihl!ation in the sea of Japan, fired upon
English trawlers. Secretary Straus said
England was in position by reason of
irresistible naval strength. to demand and
secure an investigation and reparation
"A strong navy in the hands of peace
ment to the maintenance of peace" the
Secretary declared
Where Commerce Thrives Best.
Commerce thrives best in the highways
OF peace" Mr.. Straus continued "The
foreign commerce Of the United States Is
tremendous. and in 1907 was the greatest
In the history of the country and one of
the largest of the entire world. Com
merce Is based on good will. and as the
spirit of commerce arises SO does the
spirit of peace. Before this condition ex-
lsted nations looked upon each other with
fear Now conditions are the reverse. for
we do our best to help each other thrive"
touching on the peace question, Secre-
cnf 81.
ing made. THE greatest step was made
In 1899. when twenty-nine nations gath
cred at The Hague for the settling of in
ternatlonal differences. This step was fol-
lowed by the one last year. when repre-
sentatfves OF fprty-fve nations made fur
ther advances"
Views Of Mr.. Mead
Mr.. Mead confined his address princi-
pally to the work of The Hague con-
ference. He said that he did not believe
that there Is any need of nations hav-
ing navy sufficient to demand an inves-
tigation similar to that which England
demanded of Russia after the North sea
incident. Shortly after that incident =
he said, while England was afiame, the
French foreign Office pointed out to the
English foreign Office that there was a
clause In the treaty between the nations
made at the first Hague conference, COW
ering such a matter as the investigation
desired. For this reason. I believe, and
not because England had navy four
times as great as Russia. an investigation
was held in Paris. and the whole matter
found to be deplorable and most negli-
gent, but not hostile
Continuing this line OF thought, Mr.
Mead said that the cost Of one modern
battleship. which he asserted is $1,000
600. Is an enormous price. The cost of
Harvard. OF Amherst. of Brown. of Bow
doin. of all the colleges of New England
II put together, would be more than 81
100000 less than the cost Of one modern
battleship. and yet In ten years such a
costly machine Is antiquated and thrown
away, he said.
Mr.. Mead said that the limitation of
ornaments and the agreement Of the ma
tions as TO the ability of belligerent to
borrow from neutral-of which Secre-
tary Straus spoke also--were two things
which he desires to see settled at the next
Hague conference.
Relations With Japan.
Touching upon the subject Of strain
ing Of relations between Japan and the
United States. Mr.. Mead declared that
war between the two countries at the
present time is impossible, because Japan
lacks the financial resources to precipi-
tate a conflict with such powerful
country as the United States
And II such thing was possible" he
continued, "and one part of the treaty
proposed at The Hague should be in
voked-namely. conference between 100
| editors, statesmen and publicists of that
country and like number Of men Of this
country-I think it may be safely asserted
the threatened war would be speedily
averted.''