The Washington herald., 1908-04-05
Grand Old Man" Has Been Actipe in Behalf OF
Liberty for Half a Century,

wasting power in continuing fights al-
ready won. His famous motto is: Look
forward, not backward " He knows that
several fights Of a faT-Teaehing character
in the peace cause are now won. The
fight for international arbitration has
really been fought and won lot Of
work remains TO be done around the
edges: the scope Of treaties has to be en-
laTged 10 bring them up 20 the demands
Of Judge Gray and Mr. Foster and Mr.
Straus at the memorable Washington
meeting OF January. 1904 But Secretary
Roots treaties this spring viii cover all
cases which are ever likely 10 involve pos
sibilities Of disputes between US and the
nations Of Europe, and ell else In that
field will naturally and speedily follow.
The fight for al international court has
been fought and won The fight for an
international parliament has been fought
and won. As concerns both Of these, also
important work remains 10 be done. and
our State Department must have our con-
stant and earnest support until ali details
are settled, and rightly settled. But our
main energies are now released for the
conflicts against the enormous arma-
ments, against war loans to belligerents
by neutral peoples, and in behalf Of
peace budgets" These are the three
really vital questions of the hour, COM
pared with which the rest are OF slight
and ever slighter Importance, as all are
on the way to settle themselves.
On these really vital questions Dr. Hale.
as ever speaks the prophetic and neces-
sary word and he always spurs the peace
people to concentrate their energies on
the things which now demand practical
and resoIute attention and give very lit
tie of their valuable time TO talk about
things already achieved. At Mohonk last
| year he raised his energetic voice in be-
half Of the limitation of armaments, as
when that was where his voice was really
needed ne raised It in behalf Of a perma-
nent international tribunal; and to-day
what he is chieGs trying TO check is the
inordinate building Of battle ships
For peace budgets. the positive. definite
action of governments themselves TO pro-
mote the mutual understanding and good
will Of peoples whose relations might else
become strained, he was perhaps our
| earliest important spokesman. If you
prepare for war. he SAYS, you win get IT,
and if you prepare for peace. you will get
/ that-and il is a good deal cheaper to
prepare for peace than for war 1t will
soon be a disgrace to any civilized nation.
/ he said years ago. 10 have a secretary OF
war and no secretary OF peace He has
/ lived to see our own Mr.. Taft declare
how much he dislikes 10 be styled Secre-
/ tary Of War. and TO see a movement in
! England 10 supplant the term war depart
ment by department Of national defense
And he may live to see his whole proph-
ecy fulfilled. as he has so many other
prophecies. His mind teens with schemes
| as TO what peoples might do to promote
/ fraternity and cooperation with eAh
other when they once make up their
minds TO spend their money for really de
fensive and constructive things instead
Of wasting their substance IN the prepara-
tion of mOnstrOus machines 10 scare and
kill each other
Numberless are the good causes and in
| spiratiOns with which DIT Hale's name is
identified ard for whose championship We
honor him: but he has no greater honor
thar that Of seeing so clearly and pro-
/ Claiming so constantly during the last
| twenty years what the worlds supreme
need is and how It is rightly to be met.
His place among the modern prophets of
peace and the men who have helped 20
organize the world is high one, and we
rejoice that this eighty-sixth birthday
finds him as vigorous and active as ever
in this most commanding cause.