The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-05-28
BIG ARBITRATION
CONFERENCE IS ON
At LAKE NOHONE
EMINENT SPEAKERS TALK o.,
THE INTEREST OF PEACEr.r
ADJUSTMENT.
AMBASSADOR BRYCE HEARD

says ndt newspapers 5-L -efe rs
Sentiment Of the People and A,.
Not to Blame for lne.toq -s,-.s
Among the Nations.
| MOHONK LAKE, y. T. Mar %
With an imposing array OF szassr
the fifteenth annual meeting Of The
Lake Mohonk Conference on areps.
tional Arbitration conclude its delhi.
creations Friday night Tn speakers
included the RI. Hon. James Brrcs
the British Ambassador; Alfred Nose.
lily. Of London; Representa- Richard
Bartholdt, OF Missouri; Edward J.
Wheeler, editor OF Current Literature.
FRANK Chaplin Bray editor of the
Chautauquan, and DR.. Richard Wat
/ son Glider, editor Of the Century
Mr.. Bryce said in part: All the na.
lions. both of this hemisphere and =
the other, have every possible reason
for endeavoring to keep the peace.
Interest, as well as conscience and du.
", prescribe that course. Neyerthe
less, when we remember how often
before governments and nations that
had every interest TO keep the peace
allowed themselves to be drawn into
war, and how disproportionate its
causes were TO the real interests in.
volved, we cannot be sure that the
same thing may not occur again, and
we must ask once more. Why is it
that good resolutions are so often tor,
gotten? Why is the practice of ma.
tions so much worse than their theO-
ry?
"One of the answers most often CIV
en- is that ill-feeling between nations
leading I'D to war is due to the news
papers. which, when a dispute arises
between two peoples, are accused Of
disappearing the purposes and the
entiments of the other people, and 50
leading each people to believe itself
wholly in the right and the other Who'll.
" in the wrong.
1T is not my business to defend the
newspapers. But in the Interest Of
truth and justice it must be asked
whether it is really they that are to
blame. In every country the newspa
per reflects the wishes of the people
and are what the people make them.
So if the people wish that the news
papers should show truly pacific
spirit, friendly to other nations anI-
/ ious to know In case of an information
al dispute what the case of the other
nation is. then the newspapers Will
give their readers facts and OPINIONS
which will at any rate not hinder
peace and not inflame passion. Thus
we come back to the people, who are
the ultimate masters both of the gov
eminent and of the press.
/ at this moment all the govern
ments are q venture to believe) hon
estly DESTROYS of peace. Not one oil
them has any cause for war. Not one
of them but would lose by war far
more than it could gain. Yet, It Is
apparently possible for those who De
sire. from whatever motive, to stir up
suspicion and enmity to succeed ID
convincing each nation that the other
has designs upon 1t.
Would not a better knowledge OIL
each nation by the other nations &c
something to dispel these suspicious!
Every nation must, of course, be pre-
pared TO repel all dangers at all Likely
TO threaten it. But it should also Try
to ascertain whether the dangers
is told to provide against are real OF
illusory. Suspicion breeds suspicion
and nations have sometimes come 70
fear and dislike one another only De
cause each was necessarily told ina!
it was disliked by the other.
Thirty or forty years ago there was
good deal OF this suspicion between
Britain and the United States. Better
knowledge by each nation Of the othe'
has extinghished that feeling and suS
stituted for it a genuine friendship
which will, we may feel sure, at once
recur to arbitration for the settlement
of any question that may arise. why
should this not be done as regards the
other powers also"