New-York tribune., 1909-05-20
FEAR BIG ARMAMENTS
IRE MENACE TO PEACE.
Sneakers at international arbitration
Conference Sound Same Note.

-1TT-n
wcbonk Conference on international Arbitration
= ,;7bt Their argument arose over the problem
oy establishing permanent international arbitral
- Nf- Buchanan emphasized that the failure Of
.be plan for a permanent judicial tribunal at The
hague was due to the difficulty Of dividing a court
- seventeen judges equitably among forty-four
s1nafory powers DR.. Scott took issue with this,
secis-fng that mathematics had nothing to do
nth courts" and that there is prize court al
-eadv in existence in which fifteen judges hear and
s,,s-r7ine interests affecting forty-fOur nations
He suggested that this prize court be a model for
+be permanent Hague court of arbitral justice
More than three hundred men prominent in edu-
cation diplomacy and business circles attended the
conference which Will session for three days.
Or Nicholas Murray Butler. president OF the
american Branch of the Association for lnterna-
tonal Cancellation. presided, and IN an opening ad-
dress lie said that the greatest obstacle to the mi-
tstion OF armaments appeared 10 him to be the
,-sistence by England what il calls the two
power naval standard
In the course Of his remarks welcoming the MEM
hers Of the conference his personal guests ana
introducing Or. Nicholas Murray Butler as pre-
siding officer DR.. Albert X Smiley said he was
very optimistic concerning recent events in their
bearing world peace Never before, it seemed TO
hin. had there been close bond Of sympathy
sne good Will between nations
.'On the other hand DR.. Smiley continued l
exceedingly deplore the fact that some Of our great
nations. our own among them. are SO rapidly IN
creasins their armaments No one wishes more
than 1 that armies and navies might be largely
done away with and one appreciates more
keenly The economic distress which great arma-
-nenrs impose on the people / have given the mat
Ter much thought. but heartily as dep!oTe the
situation. l must admit that ] see little hope OF
.sry relief and little prospect Of reaching an inter-
national agreement definite plan OF limitation
unless il may be indeed that the very excesses We
now deplore may entail such burdens that the peo-
rle vii rise and demand Of their governments that
some means be found to check the tremendous out
lay
DR. BUTLER's ADDRESS.
Dr. Butler referred 70 the progress toward uni
xe-sal peace made by the second Hague confer
ence but deplored what he described as present
dsv emotional insanity which resulted IN war talk
The speaker cited the attitude Of England toward
Germany as an instance Of unwarranted Jealousy
and declared that no adequate ground for British
suspicious toward Germany had been given by any
responsible person. lie continued:
The intensive application of the discoveries Of
theoretical science industrial processes has Inade
lis great international school Of industry and com
meIce WIN TINS oVeTsea IIaae is1 1s
- be- the building Of this navy which has so reused
me enf rs T N not @ tsa5ed to the welluoTn paradox
thai the larger nations navy the less Ahe.y II y
the peace Of the world. The old Adam asserts
himself long enough 10 complain in this case al
least. that If navy is building in Germany il
must BE- intended for offensive use ana against
whom could the Germans possibly intend 10 use, use
the French and the Russians tney Els e9Ga . Tny
The United States is TOO faF away 10 enter Nllo
Therefore the inference is dra En that the navy
must be intended for an attack upon Englania, i
Il is worth while noting that. on this theory the
German navy now building appears 10 be the hTSt
of modem % III ass 3 InePasd ns&e 1G[ iii5 RovT large
however costly. IS not messenger Of peace.
AERIAL NAVIGATION.
One must needs ask, then. what reason is TO be
found in the nature Of the German people ~ IN tb ttie
political relations between Germany and any other
among ali modern nsvies is building for warlike
purposeF Those OF Us Nho Zee I-a5 Lt-S s+5
Of navy building is being greauy oNeIo9iLS' oeIi5' S atS
that it cannot for moment De reconelIed Nith
sogna p9D11s pd1s9 9o fo- social ipr6vemenfs and re-
forms, may well wish that the German naval pro
nS GS S5' t iP-e for he sSstcion which is So wide
spread in England against Germany, and for the
inlpataton 10 Germany Of evil intentions toward
England? Speaking Tor myself, ana making IuII
use Of such opportunities for accurate informa-
ton I have enjoy ed, say with the utmost en-
phlsis and with entire sincerity that do not be
iieve there Is any ground whatever for those sus-
Pl2-' BGf. saws II the obiec555 England is an island
nation Unless she commands the sea absolutely
her national existence Is in danger, any strong
TIL foyr5T,Ts has fear rerested SO often that
almost everybody believes il There was a time
when IL probably and within limits true II
IS no longer true, and has not been true for some
time past In the first place. national existence
uo longer depends upon military and naval force.
Italy IS safe; 50 are Holland and Portugal; AeAlco
and Canada. Then the possibilities Of aerial nhNl-
cation alone. with the resulting power OF destroy
ing population hrdded beneath monster traN- t
cling through the air and willing 10 risk its own
oppoIluil1y 10 Ih.ci TllaI lhJ Jury upon tot H.
peoPle' 10 say nolhing OF me @ eIgileIS & Pa r5
Island
Tie greatest present obstacle to the limitation of
the ornaments under the weight Of which the
world Is staggering toward bankruptcy: the great,
economic reforms for which every nation is crying
our, that its population may he better housed;
the public health more competely protected and
The burden Of unemployment lifted from the backs Ks
i.,-l,st .aus
two-poVer naval standard This leads, and viii
construction in every .sfion where the patriotism
and good sense of the people do not put a stop
- this modern form Of madness
LIMITS OF TAXATION.
It is the plain duty of the friends Of both Eng
IL not the warm friend and adnirer Of both these
70 promote better understanding OF each OF these
peoples by the other fuller appreciation of the
rese or eTnitfn The seeds 81 dGsrord 10 be sown
between them by any element I'm the population OF
The aim Of all rational and practicable activity
for the permanent establishment OF the world 3
peace and Tor the promotion Of justice, Is ana
opinion. C5ove vernments however popular and how
ever powerful have ceased 10 dominate: every
never before. public opinion is concerning itself
Questions which must he solved aright # the
great masses OF the worlds population are TO
means the general belief in its ability 10 pay in
The future. That nation which peTsistently
sNay from the consideration Of those economic and
social questions upon which the productive power
II its population must in last resort depend limits
and eventually destroys its own credit
That nation which insists, in response to cries
more or less inarticulste and 10 formulas more
er less outworn, upon spending the treasure taken
fFom its population in taxes upon useless and
wastefil ornaments. hastens its day Of doom for
i inpairs credit ultimate borrowing capacity
- 4 double u not only eXpends unprodHc-
fively ard waetefullv vast sums Of the nation s
taxes. but il substitutes this unDroductive and
ff rfFTHl