The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-04-18

vereit1eS and our own are now b0in1
faranged. The new Scandinavian
American Society will do much to de
velop fraternity. and this fraternity
should md strong. in Stock
holm In September.
Need for National Congresses.
In recent years the needsfor regular
national peace congresses, in addition
to the international congresses, has
been making itself everywhere more
and more strongly felt Comparative
ly few, at best, OF the peace workers
in any country are able to attend the
congresses in other countries. TIC
many the hindrances of foreign Ian
guages and usages are. serious. 1t Is
important. moreover, to consolidate
and organize the peace party in each
country, and by national congresses
to influence public opinion.
France. which has taken the lead
in so many OF the important peace
movements of the last twenty years
wassthe first to act in this widespread
feeling. The first French national
peace congress was held in Toulouse
In 1902; the subsequent congresses
have been heldAat Nismes. lille, Lyons
and elsewhere.
England was.the second to act, and
the congresses at Manchester, Bris
toll. Birmingham and Scarborough in
the last four wears have been large
and influential, giving new life and
better direction to the English peace
movement. Last year Germany en-
tered the field with a splendid ma
tional congress at Jena.
First American Congress in 1907.
It was with the record of the great
international congresses behind it, az
well as the conspicuous success and
usefulness of the national congresses
in France and England. that the first
American National Peace Congress
was held in New York in April. 1907.
But the congress had also distinct
American background.
The Mohonk arbitration conferences
which antedate the English and
French congresses, in addition to
their other eminent services have in
great measure preserved the function
OF national congresses for America for
dozen years. The education and in
spiration In right international
thought which they have given the
country in the critical period when
that inuence was most imperatively
needed are incalculable.
Americas obligation to the conse-
Grated and prophetic founder OF the
Mohonk conference is profound. That
stimulating school nursery for effort
in the great cities of the country will
render ever larger service and have
ever wider scope as the peace con-
crosses multiply with the years; and
we do not fail to remember that Mo-
honk is in the same Empire State as
the city in which our first National
Peace Congress met, the city IN which
David Low Dodge founded the first
peace society in 1915
Growing Influence for Peace.
Above all other preparations for
new epoch and larger activities OF the
peace movement in America marked
by the assembling of oru first Nation
al Peace Congress had been the
steady, increasing influence of our
great prophets of peace. from the
founders of the Republic. and from
David Low Dodge and Noah Worces-
ter, to the present hour, whose lofty
conceptions and inspired words have
leavened the public thought. In this
time of larger life and larger hopes
we remember with gratitude and rev.
erence the men who laid the founda-
tions of our temple of peace.
It is not too much to say that the
New York congress of 1907. our own
first National Peace Congress. was
the most important and impressive,
as it was certainly the largest popu.
lar peace demonstration ever seen. It
occupied four days. April IA to II. 1t
was introduced by a great musical
conservation service in Carnegie Hall
on Sunday evening, the musical fea.
lures being supplemented with ad.
dresses by Bishop Potter. Rabbi Emil
G. Hirsch OF Chicago and Archbishop
Farley.
Throngs In Carnegie Hall.
Five thousand people we're present;
and audiences nearly as large. often
fully as large. gathered in Carnegie
Hall two or three times a day for the
inspiring meeting of the three follow
ing days-while many overflow meet
ings had to be arranged.
There were several special meet
ings at the Cooper Union and else
where; and all ended with banquets at
the Hotel Astor and the Waldorf-As-
toria, with an attendance so large in
both places at the same time as to tax
the capacity of the banqueting halls
Of those two great hotels.
From the opening meeting, with the
stirring addresses by Mayor McClel-
Ian. Governor Hughes and Secretary
Root, to the end. the interest was un-
tagging. Andrew Carnegie. the presi-
dent Of the New York Peace society,
was president of the congress, and his
unfailing humor. enthusiasm and good
sense contributed greatly to the won
derful success Of the congress.
Chicago Women Were Speakers.
The political, commercial and edu-
cational aspects OF the peace move
ment were the themes OF successive