Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-05-06
PREPARATION FOR WAR DRAW
ING NATIONS TO BANkRUPTcY
ON ECONOMIC RUIN.

stein, who urged that it be made to
represent a majority worldwide when
it is submitted 70 the Third Hague
conference by a delegation of peace
workers from all over the world.
Miss Eckstein, in her address, said:
The world petition is the outcome
of pressing need, a democratic duty.
a practical experiment and an idea
concerning national integrity and
honor. The pressing need is the abo-
litiOn Of war and substitution of
pacific means for the settlement of in
ternational difficulties. 1t is the most
pressing need of today for two rea-
sons: First, because preparation for
war has grown so expensive that it is
driving the nations with alarming ra-
pidity toward the abyss of bank
ruptcy; and, second, because war it.
self has become ineffective as a means
lot deciding international controversies,
since war between two Of the lead
ing powers, today, would mean mutual
economic ruin before a decisive vic
tory and defeat could be reached.
The democratic party is the duty
evolving from the democratic rights
now enjoyed by most peoples, to have
a voice in the shaping of their ma
tionaI and international affairs. 1t is
the duty to exercise this right"
while il is not as yet. within hui
man power to prevent attack upon the
life Of every individual, it is a simple
matter. today, to provide absolute i'm
munity from danger by external
forces for the life of the A nations of
The world. All that is required is that
the plenipOtentiaTies of the A nations,
when meeting at the Hague for the
third conference, sign a convention
stating that it shall be a universal
law that no verdict by arbitration, or
other pacific means, in the settlement
Of any international difficulty, shall en-
danger the self-preserVation and de-
velOpment, in other words, the vital
interests Of any nation, nor its honor.
The honor Of a nation being distinctly
defined as the protection by nation
Of its own self-pTeservatiCn and de
yelOpment without infringing upon the
conditions necessary for the self-pres-
ervation ard development OF other ma
tons"
Miss Eckstein declared that this
single International law, which will be
as easy to make, as the laws con-
corning the international arrange
ments for postal and telegraph serv-
ice-tlis single law will. with one
stroke, shift the responsibility for ma
iOnal life and honor from the Shout
ders Of armies and nayies and war to
he shoulders OF fair-p.ay statesman
ship working through pacific means.
And with the responsibility must and
will so what belongs to it: the finan
cial and brain support which will
strengthen and perfect the pacific in
stitutions for the settlement of inter
national controversies; and the
causes OF such controversies must be
minimized, so that the declaration Of
the abolition OF war will be safe
thing to Go. and that each nation can
safely begin. as it sees fit in is own
peculiar case, to reduce armies and
navles
This is the sense and purpOrt of
the world-petition. 1t asks the gov
eInments of the Third Hague confer
ence to sign conventions pledging
agreement 10 the three points just de-
scribed:
Removal Of the causes OF war by
speedily regulating ell international
interests by conventions and treaties,
each with clause insuring pacific set
tement of any difficulty that may
arise from said arrangements.
Settlement by pacific means of all
difficulties arising from international
interests not. yet covered by conven-
ton or treaty with pacific clause.
Universal law that decision by pa
cifc means of any international diff
Guilty shall. in 70 case. endanger the
seif-preseryation and development, |
i. e.. the vital interests and honors of
any nation.
Just give your imagination full
rein for a minute or two, said Miss |
Eckstein and see what il will
mean, when these three points shall /
have been placed upon the program |
of the Third Hague conference, and
when conventions p1edging agreement
to these three points shall have been
signed by the penipotentiaries of the
fl nations.
1T will mean the solution and dis
Of the whole line of subtle
questions as 10 which kinds Of whole
sale murder, cruelty and piracy shall
be allowed during war and which
shall be forbidden, for what sense
would there be in any longer trying to
regulate and mitigate war, after war
is abolished; it will put an end 10 all
the moral mischief done by duping
peop-e into the belief that war is i'm
rninent every time a bill for building
more war-ships or for increase in +
armies is before a parliament, because
then all people. not only some. viii
know better, it will mean that these
bills will gradually grow fewer and
and that in proportion with
The reduction of the nameless waste