The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-05-11

clared emphaticallxi In favor Of elimin-
ating the mischiey1hs clause which
declares that questions Of national
honor are excluded characterization.
Mr.. Taft thinks the questions of ma
tional honor ought to 60 to arbitra-
tion. ,. z
Mr.. Roosevelt;ins that safeguards
must be taken against referring such
questions to arbitration.
Taft has gone forward; Roosevelt
has stood still.
of Asia, Europe and America for an
International court OF arbitration and
justice upon the linss Of the supreme
court Of the fUHited States were an
echo Of the speeches of the American
delegates at The Hague: but 10 far az
/ can perceive from the telegraphic
reports. Mr.. Roosevelt expressed no
opinion upon Secretary Knox's sugges-
tion that the international prize court
should be used las general court Of
arbitration. Neither does he say any
thing upon the recent discussion to
found one for exclusively American
disputes.
Suggestion ofs.Little Hope.
1t is not until we come to the third
suggestion that we find any departure
from the constitutional and traditional
line Of American policy. Something
should be done, he tells us, as soon as
possible to chec kthe, growth of arma-
ments, especially naval armaments,
by international agreements. but when
the American delegates headed by
Choate carried out Roosevelt's instruc-
tions at the last Hague conference
they not merely did nothing to bring
about this object. but they took an
active though unpublic part In pre-
venting any real discussion or the
question. -[4
1t was understood that Roosevelt
then despatred OF bringing about any
international understanding on arma-
ments. His own idea was to lay down
a maximum of size for individual bat
tleships, beyond which no power
should be allowed TO 60. No other
powers would agree to this, and it was
| not put forward for. discussion. Eng
land alone of the Great powers tried
in feeble fashion to bring about an
arrest Of the growth of armament.
Roosevelt did nothing to stiffen this
resolution. Perhaps Roosevelt has re-
pented; II 20, we will wait for more
practical proof of penitence than the
expression Of pious hope that the
powers, az soon as possible, may do
something which. when he was in
power, they did not try to do.
distinctly Of the big stick order. He
would regard it as q master stroke II
the great powers, honestly bent on
peace, would form q league Of peace to
prevent by force any5 breach of peace
"A master stroke, indeed!
f. Every great power believes 1t IL
honestly bent on peace. They might
have stopped the Russo-Turkish war
but II they had tried to stop the Span
ish-American war by force what would
have been the result?
| The joint guarantee of peace fades
into thin air whenever one guaranteel
makes War.--4.e-,s, o.=:.. K: r, II. *
Great Opportunity WASTED. y'ss :
No doubt the great powers can and
do exercise a certain influence over
the smaller.states. The United States
has repeatedly interviewed with sue
cess in the quarrels of Central Ameri.
ca, but would the big stick of Uncle
sam be strong enough to compel Bra:
I'll and Argentina to-refrain from war
All this talk about the dogs of peace
to compel the nations to abstain from
lighting is sheer waste of time. II
diverts attention from the only true
road to peace. to promote information
al good understanding; to develop ia
ternational arbitration; to establish
permanent International court Of ar
bitral justice. and then induce as many
powers as possible to bind themselves
to boycott any one Of their number
who drew sword without having frs!
submitted the justice Of their quarrel
to some impartial judicial tribunal.
That is the only road by which the
nations will reach the goal of univer.
sal peace. The big stick method
would speedily lead to universal war
hence there is a feeling among the
friends of peace in the old world tina,
Roosevelt has missed or even mis-
used splendid opportunity.