Evening star., 1909-05-07

Advocates of international peace
through arbitration met at the New
Willard last night as guests of Presi-
dent James B. McCreary Of Kentucky
and the directors of the American
Peace and Arbitration League. Secre-
tary of State Knox was the guest of
honor, the day being the fifty-sixth ami
versary of his birth.
Among the speakers of the evening
were ex-senator McCreary, Ambassador
Bryce of Great Britain. Minister Portela
Of the Argentine Republic, Justice Brewer
OF the Supreme Court of the United
States. Senator Taylor of Tennessee.
Speaker Cannon and Henry Clews of
New York. The guests included many
of the most prominent men in public
life in the capital and number of rep
resentatives from the diplomatic corps.
The object of the league is to pro
mote adequate armament and effective
arbitration as correlative agencies for
national security and international peace
and Justice"
"Peace'' the Single Theme.
This was the keynote of the speeches
| of the ievening. The presence of Minister
Portela was taken to emphasize the fact
that the next great gathering Of repre-
sentatives of the nations of North and
South and Central America is to be held
| in his country. This is the coming pan
American conference. Several times dur
| ing the evening reference was made TO
| the fact that it was President McCreary,
| then a member Of the House of Repre-
sentatives, who introduced and saw en-
acted into law in 1883 bill providing
| for the first pan-American conference
ever held.
Of ha ~
| by President McCreary. lie paid many
| high compliments to the Secretary of
State, saying that he believed President
Taft could not have found in the whole
country a man better fitted or qualified
| for the great duties of Secretary of State
than Mr.. Knox.
"Armaments increase with disputes and
danger; arbitration increases with peace
and security" said Mr. McCreary. las
| the area of International arbitration is
extended there will be an increased peace
and security which will be sure to war
rant the decrease of armament.
| Minister Portela compared the prepara-
! tion of the people of North and South
America for the representative form of
government, making the point that the
adaptation Of the Latin nature to Saxon
tradition had been bloody and difficult
| task. But" said he, lin the midst of the
unceasing struggle against racial atavism.
struggle which for over a quarter of
century did not allow single day of do
mestic quiet; peace abroad, peace with all
the sisters of the hemisphere has always
1 been its most cherished desire
Laid Her Sword Aside.
| "Ail of our boundary disputes have been
settled by arbitration" he continued.
Even when my country could have set
tied them by her victorious sword, she
claimed the principle that victory does
not confer rights and the President of
the United States acted as umpire In
boundary difference" He added that this
and many other steps toward arbitration
was Argentina'S right to be heard at this
banquet given by the American Peace and
1 Arbitration League in honor of the Secre-
tary of State of the nation (which now
holds in her powerful hands the future
of that great principle
While strongly fivoring universal
| peace, Mr.. Clews declared that the
| United States must not be a laggard in
long as other nations continue to fol-
low this policy until the greater ma
tions of the world combine to let JUS
tice, backed by argument. prevail. and
leave disputes to be settled IN accord
ance with the judgment of an interna-
| tional jury"
| Il favor the most liberal appropria-
| tions for offense and Defense declared
Mr.. Clews, with the hope and prayer
| that universal peace may soon prevail.
Insurance against possible war is a duty
| that must not be neglected, as 1t Is un-
der all conditions the best preventive of
| war"
He asserted that the United States
| was competent to take the lead In a
movement for universal peace. as the
people of our land are not actuated by a
| desire to extend our possessions He
said that the question Of the immense
| taxation caused by modern warlike prep
| arations is one of the things which
would help in bringing about universal
peace One of the things to be contended
with, he said. was the admiration for
| heroes of war, which was strongly
| rooted in the human breast, and which
must be supplanted by the doctrine that
1.-The victories of peace are far greater,
| far nobler and far more beneficial than
those won in war with all its attendant
horrors.
Speech of Secretary Knox.
| Secretary Knox spoke of the interest
he had in the purposes of the organiza-
ton whose guest he was, and declared
| that every moral, intelligent man should
| be for peace and for all honorable means
toward attaining that end. AS in the
| settlement of domestice differences pub
| lie opinion largely appealed to the SUBJ
stitution Of the arbitrator for the blud-
geon, so, in international disputes, he
| looked forward to the time when ar
bitral courts would supersede the appeal
| to arms. He closed with glowing trib-
| ute to the spectacle of today, when ma
| tions WED with each other. suggesting
| amicable means to compose differences
between them.
| Ambassador Bryce argued for better
| public opinion in all civilized countries,
| one that would look with horror war