Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-20
THE FRIENDS OF PEACE FOR HIGAERSTANOARD
Opennq of Lake Mohonk Con- Keynote of Opening Address at
ference Today Presbyterian Meeting.
loHN W. FOSTER PRESIDING RICHMOND DIVINE SPEAKS
Notable Program Convention Be-
Arbitration Council gun at Greensboro N. C.
SOME PROMINENT SPEAKERS PART OF LAYMEN MOVEMENT
Present From States
the Founder and of sitorsF ronaN
the and District of Columbia
Opening of Lake Mohonk Con-
ference Today.
JOHN W. FOSTER PRESIDING
Notable Program Announced for
Arbitration Council.
SOME PROMINENT SPEAKERS
Session Opened by Albert X. Smiley,
the Founder and Host OF
the Gathering.

LAKE MOHONk N Y. May 2O.-The
friends Of peace and arbitration were
called upon at the opening of the Lake
Mohonk conference on international ar
bitration today TO oppose the 'clamor
to place the United States on war foot
ing commensurate with the martial ma
tons of Europe John w. Foster, FOR
mer Secretary of State and the presiding
officer of the conference. declared in his
opening address that the dispatch OF the
battleship fleet to the Pacific and sense
less runlors OF coming war with ia
PAN have caused this awakened spirit
of militarism.
1t should be the task of friends OF
peace throughout the world. he asserted
to create such public sentiment tha'
when the next peace conference assem-
bles at The Hague obligatory arbitration
will be adopted and a permanent arol-
tration tribunal established.
The program of the Mohonk conference
includes a presentation of the results OF
the second Hague conference and OF
the recent Central American peace con-
ference and discussion of the relations
of colleges to the arbitration movement
The speakers will include Baron Taxa
hira the japanese ambassador, Richard
Barthodt. president of the lnterparila-
mentary Union: the ministers OF some OF
the Central American TepuUlSS many
other notable men.
Several governors, members Of Con-
gress heads of universities and colleges
and men prominent in the army and navy
will attend the sessions OF the confer
ence
The session was opened today by Al
bert K Smiley, the founder and host of
the conference. Mr.. Smiley spoke, in part,
aS follows.
MI. Smiley's Remarks.
Last year in this conference We asked
that The Hague conference act on five
measures, which We considered within
reasonable expectation. The first was
provision for stated meetings of The
Hague conference. Does not the pro-
vision for another conference in about
eight years and under international
direction practically insure this?
Our second request was for perma-
nent judicial tribunal Was this idle,
when The Hague conference unanimously
agreed on plan of organization and
procedure for such a court. and failed
only to devise a plan of allotting the
judges. leaving the nations free TO do
this by diplomacy and to put the court
into operation?
Our third recommendation was gen.
eral treaty of arbitration. Was this
ignored when the principle was unani-
mously Endorsed, and when. in Difference
to only nine of fo-ty-four nations. definite
enactment was deferred?
Our fourth request of last year. in
volatility of private property at sea,
was not. it Is true granted but. thanks
to our delegation. it gained ground.
And our fifth request, that for the pro-
hibition of armed forces for the collection
of private claims when the debtor nation
will submit to arbitration, was unani-
mously granted.
when to these achievements we add
the improvements to the convention OF
1890. the extension of the Red Cross to
naval warfare and the modest but potent
provision that hereafter either party to
controversy may publicly ask for it's SUBJ
mission to The Hague tribunal (whereas
II heretofore had to agree with its adj
versary to do so) and when we remember
further that absolute unanimity was nee
essary for the adoption of any proposition.
is it not unpatriotic and unjust to accord
to our delegation and to the conference
ANYTHING but the highest praise?"
This was followed by the opening ad-
dress of President John w. Foster. Mr.
Foster spoke. in part, as follows:
President Fosters Address.
The events of the past year give en-
enlargement and hope to the attendants
upon the Mohonk arbitration conference
that their high ideal of a substitution of
arbitration for war may yet become a
reality, but these events also show that
there is much work TO be done before this
ideal is realized.
Three events of the past year have
greatly advanced the cause of interna-
Iional peace and arbitration. The first
and most important of these is the second
peace conference at The Hague, which
most important event in the history of
the human race. The second event OF
Importance was the peace conference OF
the Central American states held in
Washington during the past winter Vari-
Gus measures were agreed upon and put
into the shape of treaties, tending to pro-
mote harmony and preserve the peace
between the five Central American repub-
lies, which have in the past been the
scene of so much strife. the most promi-
nent and practicable of which was the es-
tablishment of an international court for
these republics before which al questions
between them are to be brought in the
future for peaceful determination.
The third event calling for notice is the
action OF the Secretary of State. Mr.
Root. in negotiating arbitration treaties
with eleven nations. among them some
OF the most powerful, including our
northern and southern neighbors and in
securing for them the unanimous APP
prevail Of the Senate. The laying of the
corner stone in this city of the edifice
which is TO be the home of the bureau
Of the twentyone American republics
is an event of no slight significance.
To those of US in the United States
who believe that arbitration Is wise
and practical substitute for war the re
crudescence of the martial spirit in this
country during the past year has been a
source of solicitation and some discour
agement The dispatch of our great
fleet of battleships and their auxilia ries
a voyage around the world an event
in military annals heretofore unprece-
dented. and the senseless rumors of a
coming with Japan have been the
occasion of this awakened spirit of mill
tarism.
The record of a hundred and twenty
years of peace. with less than FIVE wears
of foreign war since our indie pendence
is a record of which a nation may well
be proud
Secretary Trueblood's Remarks.
Benjamin Truenlood of Boston then
made an address on The Gains of Arbi-
traton During the Past Year" Mr.
Trueblood spoke in part as follows:
''One OF the most important ways in
watch arbitration was advanced and
strengthened was the insertion of a provi-
sion that in case one of two disputing ma i
tons should desire TO have the case arb-
trated and the other party should hest
tate or he unwilling To do so the first
party might go directly to the bureau of
rhe Hague court and declare its wish TO
have the controversy referred to the
court
LAS is we'll known to all, our govern
ment and that OF Great Britain have
reached agreement. the details OF
which being gradually worked out.
for the submission of the whole New
foundland-Labrador fisheries dispute TO
the court of The Hague
This is a very important agreement.