The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-05-05
EDWIN D. MEAD's ADDREsss.

Hague Conference in 1899, there open.
ed a new era in the peace movement
and in human history. The reason
why that conference was called was
because the Russian government felt
land every government TO which its
invitation came recognized, that the
burden of the worlds great arma-
ments, the cost of armed peace, had
become so monstrous and intolerable
that things could not longer go on
as they were; it meant universal
bankruptcy and ruin. 1t was ex-
pressly to deal with the question OF
disarmament that the First Hague
Conference was called. "a Conference
on Disarmament was what was pro-
posed-that was the first official title,
afterwards changed to that of the
Peace Conference. IL was to be
above all' an international discus
sion of the most efficacious means OF
putting limit to the present progress
sive development of armaments; and
the commanding necessity of this
limitation was never stated more
forcibly than in Count Mouravien's 4
circular in 1898 We need to remind
ourselves of his memorable words
more urgently today than ten years
ago:
Financial burdens which are in
creasing, affect public prosperity at
its source. The intellectual and phy-
sical energies OF people, as well as
labor and capital, are for most part
diverted from their natural applica
ton and unpcoductively consumed.
Hundreds of millions are employed in
acquiring frightful engines of de-
struction, which are considered today
as the acme of scientific invention.
but tomorrow are destined to become
valueless in consequence OF some new
discovery in the same domain. Nat
ional culture, economic progress and
the production Of wealth are paralyz-
ed or warped III their development.
Furthermore in proportion as the
ornaments of each power increase,
they respond less and less to the end
which the governments had in view.
The economic crisis due in a great
measure to the regime of armaments
and the continual danger which lies
in this heaping up of war material,
transform the armed peace OF our
time into a crushing burden which
peoples find it harder and harder to
bear. 1t therefore appears evident
that, II this state of things is pro-
longed it will inevitably lead to pre-
cisely that catlslysm which we seek
to avert, the thought of the horrors of
which causes the mind to shucder.
To put an end TO these incessant ar
maments, and to seek a means of
ayerting the calamities which threat
en- the whole world, is the supreme
duty which today imposes itself on
all states"
That was the intolerable" situa-
tion of ten years ago. The first
Hague Conference met. Two years
ago the second Hague Conference
met. Both conferences approached
anXiously this greatest of the prob
lens before them. The first confer
ence discussed 1t seriously. but with
out results. The second conference
hardly discuss I'd it at all, but, after
long agony, passed pious resolutions
upon the urgencsy of the problem
Why did it not grapple with the prob
lem? Because of the conflicting poll
cies and selfish ambitions of two
great powers, so uncompromising and
irreconcilable hat, to these, the well
fare OF the world had to he postpon-
ed
Meantime how has the world fareuY
What has the 'intolerable" burden
of ten years aso become today. Let
us consider simply Great Bhitain,
Germany and The United States 1t is
to go further, because
these three nations control the situa-
tion and they are the chief sinners II
these three nations began today to
act with reference to armaments, I'M
accordance with the spirit and pur-
lSeN VI ib llubut NOuNtuIlOnbt Inb
peace and order of the world would
be assured tomorrow
In 1898 Great Britain spent on her
navy $4,000 900; Germany spect
500 100000 and the United States
spent $4,000 600. Last year Grat
Britain spent s11O,OOO,OOO: Germany
SS5 100000, and the United States
$l04000,000. The increase in precise
ly the ten years when there should
have been decrease. Our own army
expenses last we're as great as our
navy expenses, Our navy expenses
this year win be $30,O00,OO0 greater
than last year. We are today paying
for expenses OF the past wars and
preparations for possible wars, 65
per cent, practically two-thirds, of
our total national revenues, leaving
barely one-thi,d available for alNI
constructive purposes What would
Washington and Jefferson and Frank