The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1909-05-08
Richard 0ArthoIdt.

Richard eArthoIdt.
ID. Mead Of Boston on "The Arrest in
Competitive Aiming in Fidelity to The
Hague Movement"
Competitive Aiming
In discussing this question, Mr..
Mead said:
Let US consider simply Great Brit
ain, Germany and the United States.
1t Is unnecessary to go further, be.
cause these three nations control the
ners. II these three nations began to-
day to act. with reference to arma.
ments, in accordance with the spirit
and purpose of The Hague convention,
the peace and order OF the world
would be assured tomorrow.
In 1898 Great Britain spent on her
navy Sl2+.O00.O00: Germany spent
29.000.0OO: and the United States
spent $50.00O.0OO. Last year Great
Britain spent $4,000. 900: Germany,
&S3.O00.000; and the United States,
$lO@.O0O.0O0. The increase In precise
ly ten years when there should have
been decrease was enormous. Our
own army expenses last year were as
great as our navy expenses. Our navy
expenses this year will W $40. 900 900
greater than last year. We are to-
day paying for expenses OF past wars
and preparations for possible wars 65
per cent. practically two-thirds. OF
our total national revenue, leaving
barely one-third available for all con.
structive purposes. What would Wash
ington and Jefferson and Franklin say
to this? We know what they did say
about things Of this sort. They would
say to-day that the republic was stand.
ing on its head
Hope for the Future.
This is what has come about In
ten years In these three nations be.
cause The Hague conference in 1899
did nothing about the reduction or ar.
rest Of ornaments. As we now look
back. We see that II could not do much
directly At that time. The war sys.
TEN OF nations could be supplantcd
only by the gradual Development OF
system OF international law and Jus.
tice to take itx place. When the firs,
Hague conference created the inter.
national tribunal. II did Indirectly the
most probably which |, could do In be.
half OF the reduction Of ornaments,
because II took 4 long step In furnish.
inE the nations with such legal ma.
chinery for the settlement Of their dif.
ferences ~ makes recourse to war
machinery more and more unneces.
sary and inexcussble. II has been in
the line Of this thought that the In.
ternational lawyers have had their
hopeful assurance. Develop the legal
machinery. they said. and the arma.
ments will perforce crumble Of their
own dead weight
Tho continued and rapid develop
ment during the decade Of provision
for tho peaceful settlement Of interna.
tional disputes has been something un.
paraileled In history. The leaders Of
the movement for international Justice
are sometimes rcproachcd with being
drcamers. The only trouble with them
In the past ton years has been that. no
far ~ the development Of the instru.
ments Of International Justice arc con.
ccrned. they have not been able to
dream darinEly enough or fast enough
to keep up with the facts"
Among the diplomats who came to
Chicago 70 attend the Peace congress
were: Ambassador Count Johann
Heinrich Won BcrnstorR Of Germany;
Herman Do t.sxcrerantz. envoy from
Sweden: WI Ting Fang. envoy from
China: Alfred Mitchell Innes. coun.
sslor Of the British embassy. and Dr.
HAivdan kont Of the Univefrity Of
Norway. The Japanese. Turkish and
French embassies also were repre-
scented.