The Washington herald., 1908-04-05
BY EDWIN d. MEAD.


Edward Everett Hale. Americas grand
old man. was eighty-six years old on
Friday. As year BY year his birthdays
come. finding him always young for lib-
erty' ana progress. we realize with ever
new. force and new gratitude how varied
and great his services have been. At this
time. when, at an age far beyond that
when most men think themselves entitled
20 repose, he is so untiring in his war
against war. and in particular against
the present navy craze in the United
States. we realize especially his immense
service during the last twenty years in
the cause Of peace and international JUS
tice.
At the conservation service at Symphony
Hal. Boston, on the Sunday evening In
October 1904, Immediately preceding the
opening of the international peace con-
gress. the responsive reading was con-
Quoted by DR.. Hale. No other choice
could have been so fitting for this service.
and perhaps no other words could so well
emphasize the aspect Of the peace cause
which ne has so conspicuously served as
the opening words Of this responsive serv-
ice: God reigneth over the nations: He
hath prepared His throne for judgment p"
Judgment-justice-is a word that he loves
better even than peace. international
Justice. that is the definition of the aim
of a little group which he organized in
Boston few years ago 10 promote the
interests of universal fraternity, and a
regular committee on International justice
has lately been organized in his Boston
church. lie SAYS that no Christian
church to-day should be without such a
committee. He believes in peace primarily
because he feels so deeply that the pres
ent war system of nations is monstrous
injustice, never determining which of two
fighting nations is right, but simply
which is stronger.
Il would be hard to say what good
cause DR. Hale has not helped during
these late winters of his residence in
Washington as Chaplain of the United
States Senate; but the cause of inteTna-
tional arbitration and peace has there,
as in Boston, been nearest his heart. He
is always in close touch with the strong
international men at Washington. in Con-
gress and out Of il. and there have been
few weeks in which letters have not come
from him to the Boston workers report
ing progress and giving counsel. Were
he Senator Hale, he could not feel more
responsibly anxious TO guard the country
from the mischiefs of the extravagant in
dulgences in the battle-ship furore- lie
sees clearly that the logic and imperative
of The Hague conventions. 10 which the
United States is a party, are in behalf ot
limitation and gradual reduction, Ger
tainly not the increase of the burden
some armaments of the nations. now
vastly more a prOvocatiOn and menace
than a defense. The decrease OF the ma
chinery for the arbitrament of the dis
putv5 between nations By battle should
keep steady and regular pace with the in
crease Of the machinery for their arbitra-
meHt by law and an international trib-
unai until the war system of nations ],
entirely supplanted by the judicial sys
ten. The development OF this interna-
tional judicial machinery in the last ter
years has been so great as to be almost
revolutionary. The world meantime. ac-
cording 20 DR. Hale's brave and inveter-
ate optimism is growing steadily better
and not worse; the United States is vast
~ stronger and therefore safer from at