The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-02-24
PETITION ASKS
WORLDS PEACE
Congress Is Asked to Give an OBJ
iect Lesson to All Other
Nations.
BUREAU OF MINES INDoRSED
Passage Of Bill at Present Session Is
Practically Assured - President
Taft's Fondness for Travel
VIII Be Gratified.


VIII Be Gratlfed.
Washington.-Tn the house commit
tee on foreign affairs there is repos-
Ing nuge petition signed by hundreds
Of Americans known to fame, and by
thousands of other fellow Americans
whose fame never has been trumpet
ed. The petition asks that the United
States shall declare itself through
congress that 1t wishes to give the
world assurance 1t will never again
conquer and hold by force of arms
any more territory. The petition also
asks that the national lawmakers shall
declare the intention Of this country to
stop its rapid increase in armament.
Side by side in congress with this
petition is bill to increase the fight
ing efficiency of the navy by the addi-
ton of two great Dreadnaughts to the
ocean-going war fleet There are men,
bers OF the house and senate who are
in very truth apostles of peace, but
their number Is small when compared
to the number of senators and repre-
Bentatives who believe that 1t is neces-
sary to maintain the navy and army
at fighting strength, and to do moth
ing which might give another coun-
try an opportunity readily to over
come us in case of a declaration of
war.
The attempt of the peace promoters
to secure from the United States a
first pledge to the end of friendly re-
lations with the rest of the world is
explained by the friends of the reso-
luton which congress has been asked
to pass, as being simply one step fur
ther on the road toward the goal of
the political organization of the world
on peace basis.
seek to End Warfare.
The resolutions which are now be-
fore congress have for their imme-
date object the stopping of the growth
of navies and armies. When the first
Hague peace conference was held its
principal object was to see if some
means could not be taken to induce
the nations of the world to stop in
creasing the enlisted strength Of their
armies and to stop adding battleships
to their navies. The attempt at The
Hague failed because 1t was perfectly
apparent that each nation could not
be brought to believe that some other
nation would not violate the compact,
and by increasing its war strength put
the safety of the other nations who
kept the peace faith. in jeopardy.
President Taft and Secretary Knox
have just irdorsed plan for the es-
tablishment OF judicial courl to which
all the nations of the earth may have re-
course in certain matters. The friends
of the peace movement see in this an
added victory.
Bureau of Mines Favored.
From indications 1t is practically as
sured that before the present session
ends President Taft will sign bill
the effect of which will be to estab-
lish bureau of mines in the interior
department The duty of the bureau
Of mines simply will be to make thor
ough investigations into the cause of
mining disasters and to recommend
preventive measures.
The bill, 1t is said. will not inter-
fere with the rights of the states in
any way, the hope being that the
states will adopt legislation in accord
ance with the suggestion of the fed
eral government, legislation which will
prevent such terrible disasters as that
of the Cherry mine in Illinois and of
the recent mine accidents in Colorado.
Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
In the geological survey there is
what is known as a "technologic
branch" 1t is the duty of the officials
of this branch of the survey to make
Inquiries into mine troubles and to
make suggestions for relief The force
Is very small and the belief of most
members OF congress is that it's work
should be enlarged and should be put
under the control of the secretary of
the interior, whose department. as far
as public lands are concerned, has
most of the mining territory of the
government in charge. The American
mining congress has representatives
in Washington whose efforts are to
further the interests of the bill There
has been objection to the measure on
the ground of states rights, which it
is supposed might be invaded, but the
argument based on the provisions of
the bill is that no right which now be
longs to the state will be taken away,
Explanation Of Measure.
J. F. Callbreath. Jr., is secretary oi
the mining congress and he has this
to say concerning the measure:
"The slaughter in our coal mines
seems to grow in horror with each
day We haven't had time to get over
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