Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-12-28
PROGRESS OF WORLD PEACE

|
| The leading nations or the world
are spending thousands OF mill.c ms
OF dollars year - prepu,e for war,
while processing that they want
nothing but peace. Five IF these ma
tions, other than this, coul!, on short
notice, put thirty millions Of men
in the field. Their 'imp,cvel' arms
and munitions will make the war OF
the future more cruel AMI deadly
than was any war of The past. Even
the United States, which stands
prominently for world peace. ia
spending as much on It's army as
is Germany, the greatest military
power of Europe.
These facts are sometimes dis
couragiDg to the advocates of peace.
though II IN urged. on the other
hand, that the scientific improve
ment OF war will nrlng the end of
all war, making 1t so destructive and
expensive that no nation can afford
to engage in It, 1t is doubles true
that such considerations are hasten
ing the practical application OF in
ternationai arbitration. Another
great factor in the coming of world
peace is the growing intelligence of
the people. They are no longer will
ling to be made the blind Instruments
OF rulers and monarchs for the in
1ov nh ~ Nat foy
low beings. The element that has
produced peaceful revolution in
Turkey, turning it from tyranni
cal despotism to the first steps Of
popular government, is working
among all civilized peoples for popu-
lar emancipation. Approximate
world peace is no longer regarded as
the vision OF an lmpracticable
dreamer but as the hopeful assur
ance OF the ultimate future. Even
international arbitration was re-
Gently viewed as Of doubtful advis-
ability, but Its practical applica-
ton has vindicated the claims of it's
advocates. and it is becoming a COM
mon method Of adjusting interna-
tional differences.
The declaration recently signed
between the United States and ia
pan was practically an arbitration
treaty. 1t may be the means of pre-
venting a war between these ma
tons: a war that had been predict
ed by many observers OF information
al affairs. Such a war would have
been one Of the most dreadful inter-
national calamities ever known. Ne
gotiations are now In progress for
an arbitration treaty between the
United States and Argentina and
Brasil. The troubled states Of
South America are gradually being
cemented into . political brother
hood. through the influence Of in
ternational arbitration.
In the observance Of the Christ
mas season. Christian peoples cele-
brate the advent Of the Prince Of
Peace. and the Sunday preceding
Christmas day. December 20. was
this year designated by many re-
ligious organizations as Peace
Sunday" when sermons were es-
pecially devoted to the progress of
the peace movement. The God of
peace, rather than the God of
battles" was appealed to. What is
needed in the pulpit and the press
Is publicity and information as to
the actual work that ia being done
for international peace. through the
Peace Society. the fnterparliamen-
tary Union. the Hague Conference
and actual arbitration.
The logical and browning Sc
Quence Of the peace movement Is the
proposed establishment of a perma-
nent arbitration world tribunal
Such a tribunal would represent all
the nations of the earth and would
have referred to 1t all differences
not susceptible OF diplomatic solu-
ton. to be settled by high court
composed of the most expert jurists
of the world. In such tribunal the
nations Of the world could hnd q
cheaper, more satisfactory and more
humane way of settling their differ
ences than by war. Confidence in its
eficiency and value would rapidly
grow. until 1t became the universal
resort for the adjustment Of inter-
national differences. Then might
the dream of world peace be posi-
BILE Of realization. With united effort
on the part Of the advocates of in
ternational arbitration, such de-
sirable contamination may be pos
sible within the present genera
ton.