The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-05-04
CONGRESSOf
PEACE OPENS
Expressions Of Protest
Against Wars.
GREAT MEETING IN CHICAGO
Notable Men Lend Their Presence
to Occasion.
president tart sends Letter To the
Congress Expre.sins ms Earnsst
sympathy In the work Un-
der Consideration.

No. =
Chicago. May s--.Ja Der Krieg vers.
chlingt INNER Die Besten.'---ever ths
war devours the best"
These words written by the German
poet Schiller century ago, formed ths
theme of an address at the opening Of
the second national :. peace congress
here today by David Starr Jordan
President Of the Leland Stanford. Jr.
University.
1T is through selection that all race
progress comes" said DR.. Jordan
'.The war means always the reversal
of selection.
.erhe survival OF the fittest In the
struggle for existence IL the primal
moving cause of race progress and OF
race changes. In the red stress OF
human history. this natural process
OF selection Is some times reversed. A
reversal OF selection 10 the beginning
OF degradation. It is degradation IT.
SELF
"The only way in, which any race, az
a whole has improved has been through
its preservation Of its best and the loss
OF ! its worst enemies. The condition
which favors Is democracy, euuati-
ty before the law. the condition which
equalizes opportunity and gives each
man the right to stand or fall, on the
powers God has given him.
The only race in. the generation
ever known is that produced by those
forces which destroy the best. leaving
for the fathers Of the future those who
could not be used in the- BUSINESS Of
war; or In that OF colonization,
1.-THE effects OF emigration run paraf-
lei with the effects OF war but with
this enormous difference. the strons
men who emigrate are not lost TO the
world. The loss OF onelregiment r. this
gain Of another. But the losses In
war can yield no corresponding gain.
THE warlike nation OF today Is the
decadent nation OF tomorrow. 1t has
ever been so, and in the nature OF
things It must be ever. Our republic
shall endure so long as thes human
harvest Is good, so long as the move
ment Of history. the progress OF peace
and industry leaves for the future NOT
the worst. but the best of each genera
ton The republic OF Rome lasted 50
long as there were Romans the repub-
lie Of America VIII last so long as It's
people. IN bleed and IN spirit remain
what we have learned to call A,iieri-
cans.
Joseph b. Burt OF Chicago. speak
ing at the evening session, declared
that In the great growth OF fraternal
organizations In the United States the
peace movement has its greatest
present factor.
Perhaps" Mr.. Burt said, .sthe great
est guarantee against another civil war
in this country lies In the fact that
over one-thfrd OF our men belong ia
fraternal orders and are taught to re-
gard their fellow men as brothers.
The members of nearly all these
orders have never charged each other
with bayonets. nor killed each other
with bullets"
Prof. Paul s. Reinsch, of the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin, one Of the speakers
at the evening session declared that
the universal cooperation which is
necessary for universal peace Is an
ideal for the future.
Two sessions Of the congress were
held. afternoon and evening, but the
evening session was itself held in two
parts, one at orchestra hall presided
over by Rev Emil G. Hirsch, OF Chicago
and the other in the Fine Arts building.
Miss Jane Adams. the Chicago settie-
ment worker, being in. the chair.
Among the other addresses of the even
ing was a talk on racial progress
towards a universal peace" by II. T.
Healing, of Nashville. Tenn.
A letter was received from Secretary
of War, j. NJ. Dickinson, who fs presi-
dent of the peace congress. stating that
he would be unable to attend the
present congress. He sent a speech.
however, which will be read for him.
The following A. the text OF a lotfer
written by President Taft to Secretary
Royal L. Melendy. Of the National Peace
Congress, and which was read at the
opening OF that body today:
President Taft's Letter.
any Dear Sir:--
IT greatly regret that am unable to
attend the coming National Peace Con-
~resa M Chicago and there to express
NV earnest sympathy with the object
OF the assembling OF so many distin-
ruished men in the interest of the
worlds peace. That progress has been
made in the matter OF peace every
where by international action and by
the moral pressure of the peoples Of
the earth. anyone who has examined
the record must admit. IL 10 true that
ornaments go on increasing in cost.
but It Is also, true that the burdens
presented by this competition In ar
Y,nannent are growing heavier and heav-
Ter and the problems for solution con-
sistent with their Increase. become
more and more difficult. The POSSIBLE
from Responsibilities of government
and In those countries where stability
OF internal control Is lacking. The
United States has contributed much to
the cause OF peace by assisting coun-
tries weak in respect to their Internal
government so as to strengthen In them
the cause of law and order. This re-
iationship Of guardian and ward % be-
tween nations and countriee, IN my
Judgment. helps along the cause OF In
ternationai peace and indicates prog
ress In civilization. The policy Of the
United States in avoiding war under
All circumstances except those plainly
inconsistent with honor or fits highest
welfare has been made so clear to the
world as hardly to need statement at
my hands. I can only say that as far
as my legitimate influenceextends while
at the head of this government. IT Will
always be exerted IN the full in IA
vor of peace. not only as between
this country and other countries. but
as between our sister nations.
'Very sincerely yours,
William II. Taft"