The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-05-03
SECOND PEACE
CONGRESS WAS
OPENED TO-DAY
President Taft Sent a Letter
Strongly Favoring Worlds
Peace
PEACE SUNDAY HERAlOED
BY THE RINGING OF BELLS
Ten Thousand Socialists Met at the
Foot of Grants Monument and Held
a Silent Meeting-Special Services
in Nearly Every Church.

in Nearly Every Church.
Chicago. May 3,-The second peace
congress was formally opened here
today. Orchestra hall was we'll filled
with the delegates. Robert Treat
Paine of Boston. president of the
American Peace society. was in the
chair Addresses of welcome were
made by Gov. Charles S. Dineen and
Mayor Busse of Chicago. Rev. A.
Eugene Bartlett. chairman of the re-
cepetion committee. welcomed the
delegates to the work of the congress.
A letter from President Taft was read
by Secretary of Interior Richard A.
Ballinger. who had been delegated to
represent the administration. Miss
Anna Beckstern announced the
worlds petition to the third Hague
conference" DR.. Benjamin F. True
blood, secretary of the American
Peace society, told of the present posi-
tion of the peace movement and Dean
w. P. Rogers of the Cincinnati law
school spoke of The Dawn of Cniver-
sal Peace
After these formalities. speeches
will follow in steady stream. morn
ing. afternoon and evening. until We'd
nesday night. when the congress will
end with big banquet given by the
Chicago Association of Commerce.
Delegates continued to pour into the
city today. 1t is estimated that 1900
will attend. Every department Of
science and intellectual activity will
he represented and leaders of the
movement declare that the cause of
universal peace will be given an i'm
petus never before known Tie pro-
gram carries list of noted men. in
cluding university presidents. jurists.
lawyers. physicians. business men and
politicians. Universal peace will be
treated as scientific and economic
subject.
Yesterdays preliminaries to this
gathering were many. The most spec
tacular was the silent peace Demon
stration.' of 10000 members of the
Socialist party on the lake front. The
Socialists gathered at the foot of
Grants monument for half an hour.
They said nothing and did nothing.
and the police had no trouble. Red
carnations and tiny red flags in their
button holes were their only distin-
gushing marks. The ringing of church
bells heralded Peace Sunday" in the
pulpits. Special exercises were held
in many churches. Special speakers
were assigned to twenty churches of
various denominations. President
Samuel Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor spoke at the Bel
den Avenue Baptist church. Edwin
d. Mead of Boston spoke in the Union
Park Congregational church.
Last evening mass meeting was
held in Orchestra hall under auspices
of the Sunday Evening club. Speak
ers were the Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones.
the Rev. Emil G.. Hirsch. and Presi-
dent Jacob Gould Schurman of Cornell
university. Throughout the three days
of the congress special peace exer-
ses will be conducted in public
schools with addresses by visiting
educators.
Taft's Letter.
The following is the text of letter
written by President Taft:
"My Dear Sir:
II greatly regret that | am unable
to attend the coming national peace
congress at Chicago and there to eX-
press my earnest sympathy with the
object of the assembling of so many
distinguished men in the interest of
world peace. That progress has been
made in the matter Of peace every
where by international action and by
the moral pressure eff the peoples of
the earth. anyone who has examined
the record must admit. 1t is true that
ornaments go on increasing in cost.
but it is also true that the burdens
presented by this competition in ar
mament are growing heavier and
heavier. and the problems for solu-
tion consistant with their increase be-
come more and more difficult. The
possibilities Of war now arising come
chiefly from Responsibilities of gov
ernment, and in those countries where
stability of interna! control is lack
ing. The United States has contrib
uted much to the cause of peace by
assisting countries weak in respect to
their internal government SO as TO
strengthen them in the cause of law
and order. This relationship of
guardian and ward as between nations
and countries in my Judgment helps
along the cause Of international peace
and indicates progress in civilization
The policy of the United States in
avoiding war under all circumstances
except those plainly inconsistent with
honor or it's highest welfare has been
made so clear to the world as hardly
to need statement at my hands.
can only say that so far as my legiti-
mate influence extends while at the
head of this government. it will al
ways be eXerted in the full in favor of
peace. not only as between this coun
try and other countries. but as be-
tween our sister nations.
Very sincerely yours.
William II. Taft"