The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-05
BLIND FORCE
ERA is ENDED
DR.. TRuEsLoop AT PEACE CON-
cREss REJoIcEs AT GREAT
REFoRM--RAcIFIc sENTI-
MENT GROWING OVER
WORLD.

NHAS SSGUIlu Hhti0ndA peace NUMGIGSA ia
the interests not OF an unrealizable
dream. but OF great already triumph
ing reform. said DR., Benjamin F..
Trueblood, secretary Of the American
Peace society at today's session of the
second national conference. THE
peace movement has passed It's theo-
retical period. 1t is far along toward
the completion of its practical stage. :"
continued the speaker
The men and women, now great
host. who believe that the day is past
when blind brute force should direct
the policies of nations and preside at
the settlement of their differences, are
now thoroughly organized A hun
dred years ago there was not a so
ciety in existence organized to pro-
mote appeal to the reform of reason
and right in the adjustment of inter-
national controversies. Today there
are more than 500, nearly every i'm
portant nation having its group OF
peace organizations"
DIR. Truebiood mentioned some of
these and told of the work they are
doing. Continuing, he said:
1T Is this far flung pacific public
sentiment of the world. growing con-
stantly, crossing all boundary lines,
disregarding all language barriers, or
ganized and having it's definite, we'll
digested program, that constitutes the
real strength and the promise OF the
no NJ nsVA ET Rl1ie hos
come all the rest--the limitation and
restrictions of war, the splendid tri-
umphs of arbitration The Hague con-
ferences the International court of ar
bltration, the beginnings of the world
parliament and Of a supreme court of
the nations. 1t is on this intelligent
organized public sentiment, to which
governments are compelled to listen,
that we must still rely absolutely for
the accomplishment of what vet re-
mains to be done to bring the ma
tions to sane and rational relations
to each other, and to relieve them from
the torturing nightmare of militarism
with which they are still obsessed.
Triumphs of Arbitration
THE position which the peace move
ment has reached is no less distinctly
/ determined by the practical attain
ments Of arbitration. Within the last
twenty years, so rapid has been the
triumph of arbitration that more than
100 international differences have been
disposed OF by this means, or between
five and six year for the whole twen-
ty years. Arbitration is no longer an
experiment. 1t is the settled practice
1F A
today go naturally to arbitration where
one gives rise to talk OF war.
THE first Hague conference, ten
years ago, gave us the permanent in
ternational court of arbitration. which
has now. been in successful operation
for about eight years. and disposes oil
several important controversies. This
court was strengthened and improved
by the second Hague conference two
years ago. and by the admission of the
South and Central American states ia
it has become the arbitration court. moi
of the twenty-six powers that gathered
at The Hague In 1899 but of the en-
tire world. This tribunal is now TAX
ing practically all the international
differences not adjustable by diplo-
macy. Within a year these have beer
referred to it the Casa Blanca dispute
between France and Germany the fish
cries controversy between our govern
ment and Venezuela, and dispute be.
/ tween Norway and Sweden.
Within less than six years, more thar
eighty treaties of obligatory arbitra.
ton, stipulting reference to the Hague
court of all questions Of "a judicial or.
\ nvRc IT, ~ 49,.
alton OF treaties, have been concluded
between nations in pairs. twenty three
OF which were negotiated the pas
year by our distinguished ex- Secretary
OF State Root. and ratified by both the
president and the senate. Arbitration
has won its case. There remains, In
fact, but one further step in it's de-
velopment, and that is the conclusion
of general treaty Of obligatory arbi.
tration to be signed by all the ma
tions together stipulating the refer
ence to the Hague courts OF all inter
national differences not capable OF
solution by diplomacy. ) treaty of this
1 order, limited somewhat In scope, came
much nearer adoption OF the second
Hague conference than is usual,
known, Thirty-five OF the forty foul
delegations voted for 1t, and only fivt
against 1T, vote OF seven to one. ol
| by the populations OF the nations rep
resented, of more than seven to one
leaving out of account the four pow
ers that abstained from voting ant
tacitly gave their consent to the pro.
posed convention.
| Record is Unsurpassed.
'"This record, made by arbitration. Ii
unsurpassed, probably unparalleled, b,
any other chapter of the history of the
progress of civilization during the last
100 years, and before long the wise
and learned historians, who have here.
tofore SO largely estimated history by
its fueds and battles and slaughters
will find ii OUT
DIR. Trueblood discussed the signifi.
canoe of some Of the special conven.
! tions adopted by the second Hague
conference which excludes warlike on.
erations from certain fields and max,
! war in general much more difflcult anc
less likely to occur at ALL
As to the important work of the con.
/ ferences, the speaker said; "The frs
Hague conference gave us the perna.
nent International court OF arbitration
1 to which the powers represented flnalis
became parties by ratification OF thu
4 convention. This court has now 70,
/ eight years been in successful opera.
tion, and not less than four eontro.
| versies have been referred to 1T dur.
| ing the past year The second Hagu,
conference enlarged and strengthens.
the convention under which this ceur
was set up, and made the oeurt tn,