Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-05-12
WORLD PETITION,
| PEACE ON EARTH
TO BE SUBMITTED AT THIRD
HAGUE CONFERENCE WITH
100000 SIGNATURES.
PREPARATION ron WAR DRAW.
ING NATIONS 10 BANKRUPTCY
ON ECONOMIC RUIN.

Chicago, May "A world petition.
having for its purport the abolition of
war and substitution of pacific means
for the settlement of international diff
hculties, which will be presented to
the Third Hague conference. was dis
cussed by Miss Anna B. Eckstefn of
Boston, one of the speakers at to
days session OF the second national
peace conference. The petition al.
ready has between four and FIVE mil
lion signatures, declared Miss Eek.
stein, who urged that it be made TO
represent a majority worldwide when
1t is submitted to the Third Hague
conference by a delegation of peace
workers from ali over the world.
Miss Eckstein, in her address, said:
The world petition is the outcome
OF pressing need, a democratic duty.
practical experiment and ar idea
concerning national integrity and
honor. The pressing need is he abo.
lition OF war and substit uion of
pacific means for the settlement of in
ternational difficulties. 1t Is the most
pressing need of today for two rea-
sons: First, because preparation for
WIZ has grown so expensiy that it is
driving the nations with alarming ra-
pidity toward the abyss of bank
ruptcy; and, second. because war it.
self has become ineffective as a means
of deciding international controversies.
since a war between two of the lead
ing powers, today. would mean mutual
economic ruin before a decisive vic
tory and defeat could be reached
THE democratic party is the duty
evolving from the democratic rights
now enjoyed by most peoples to have
a voice in the shaping of their ma
tional and international affairs. 1t is
the, duty to exercise this right
While ii is not as yet, within hu-
man power to prevent attack upon the
life of every individual. it is a simple
matter, today, to provide absolute i'm
munity from danger by external
forces for the life of the "A nations of
the world. All that is required is that
the Dlenipotentiaries of the A nations,
when meeting at the Hague for the
third conference, sign a convention
stating that it shall be a universal
law that no verdict by arbitration, or
other pacific means, in the settlement
of any international difficulty, shall en-
danger the self-preservation and de-
velopment. in other words. the vital
interests OF any nation, nor its honor
The honor of nation being distinctly
defined as the protection by a nation
OF its own self-preservation and de-
velopment without infringing upon the
conditions necessary for the self-pres-
eryation and development of other ma
tons"
Miss Eckstein declared that this
single international Law which will be
as easy to make, as the laws con-
corning the International arrange
ments for postal and telegraph serv-
ica--this single law will. with one
stroke. shift the responsibility for ma
tonal life and honor from the Shout
ders of arluies and nayies and war to
the shoulders of fair-play statesman
ship working through pacific means.
And with the responsibility must and
will go what belongs to it; the finau-
cial and brain support which will
strengthen and perfect the pacific in
situations for the settlement of inter
national controversies; and the
causes of such controversies must be
unlimited so that the declaration of
the abolition OF war will be a safe
thing to do. and that each nation can
safely begin. as it sees fit in its own
peculiar case. 10 reduce armies and
navies.
This is the sense and purport of
the world-petition 1t asks the gov
ernments of the Third Hague confer
rnce to sign conventions pledging
greement to the three points just de-
scribed
Removal of the causes of war by
speedily regulating all International
interests by conventions and treaties,
each with clause assuring pacific set
tlement of sny difficulty that may
arise from said arrangements.
Settlement by pacific means of all
difficulties arising from international
interests not yet covered by conven-
tion or treaty with pacific clause.
Universal law that decision by pa
cifc means of any international diff
Guilty shall in no case. endanger the
MISREPRESENTATION and development
/. e. the vital interests and honors of
any nation
Just give your imagination full
rein for a minute or two said Miss
Eckstein. "and see what it Will
mean. when these three points shall
have been placed upon the program
OF the Third Hague conference, and
when conventions piedging agreement
to these three points shall have been
signed by the plenipotentiaries of the
"a nations,
1T will mean the solution and dis,
appearance of the whole line of subtle
questions as to which kinds of whole
sale murder. cruelty and piracy shan
De allowed during war and which