The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-04-22
auhscRIIPrloN RArEs.
.NlAlTIosAL PEACE CONFERENCE

The second National Peace Con-
terence Will be held in Chicago,
Monday "wednesday, May s.5, 1903.
The first National Peace Confer.
enee was aeld in New York in 1907,
lust on the eve Of the assembling of
the Second Hague Conference, and
contributed largely to the success Of
that important assembly at which
forty-four nations we're represented.
The coming congress will be sim
liar to the New York Congress. Its
great object will be the strengthen
ing Of public sentiment for ihterna-
tional arbitration, and the coneidera-
ton Of the next steps to be taken to-
ward the realization Of universal
peace Speakers OF worldwide rep
atstton have been invited, including
government officials in our own land
as Well as prominent officials of
Great Britain, Germany, France, ia
pan China, South America and otne-
countries. Special legal, education
OIL religious Industrial and COM
nnerchad sessions have been arranged,
and IT is expected that, as in New
I York the attendance will mount up.
into the thousands.
"a Universal Peace Congress was
held In Chicago in connection with
the Columbian Exposition In 1898.
While the peace gathering was some
what oyershadowed by the great ex-
Doation, nevertheless, the addresses
and papers presented were a distinct
contribution to the literature OF the
peace movement, In six short years
after the Chicago Peace Congress.
dts recommendation as to a Congress-
and High Court Of Nations began to
3be worked out into actuaities by
the first Hague Conference in 1899.
ids believed that National Peace
Congress in Chicago. the metropolis
Of the West, will contribute not
little to the progress of the world.
s The principles of arbitration have
triumpaed. Within a century more
than 260 Important CONTROVERSIES
between nations have been settled
by fhis pacific means. At the sec.
Ond Hague Conference, two years
ago, 80 powers, representing 1885,
100000 inhabitants, voted for gen
eral obligatory arbitration; pow
ers, representing 55,562,0OO inhabF-
tants. voted against it. Thus has
the civilized world by the vote OF
{ The Official representatives o. nearly
nine terl 4 ->'s population declared
Itself III -. :. obligatory arbitration
as a substitute for war. After the
magnificent efforts for substitution
Sof an official international Court for
international trial by battle. we may
rejoice that arbitration has commend.
ed itself 70 the world as Reasonable
and practicable. More than eighty
treaties Uf obligatory arbitration have
been concluded between the nations
\ IN pairs within the hast five years,
our own country being party to TWEEN
ty-Sour Of them.
g The question now comes, what
Next2" Two years before the as.
sembllng OF The Hague Conference
in 1915, a statement will ,be drawn
up by the several governments con-
corning the questions which will
come up for discussion at tae third
session of what has become to be
virtually periodic Congress of Ma
y lions. One of the objects Of the
Chicago Peace Congress will be to
consider what subjects should be
t2Ren up by the third Hague Confer
sence. A generous portion OF tile
programme is to be devoted 10 consid.
ering next steps. History is making
50 rapidly towards International co.
operation that 1t is difficult to keep
ahead of prose facts.
A new era is opening. Business
men, educators and labor leaders alike
feel that we are not spending our ma.
honal revenues to the best advantage.
Z II is altogether possible that coming
historians may date new chapter in
the worlds annals from the present
quaTter century. Coming at this
strategic moment, supported by the
4 new economic and moral sentiment Of
to-day, the Chicago Peace Congress
witl undoubtedly go down into history
as epoch-marking, II not, indeed,
epcch-making.
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