The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-07-10
PEACE MEETING
Continued from page 10)

Continued from page 10.)
spCnsibility of developing a true and
sound country, and although one of the
guests has married into the family,
and now looks at us from the head of
the table, he looks back to the days
when he was stranger, and he looks
with attention and kindness at the
foibles of us who still number among
the guests. (Applause.)
The mere fact that we are here
standing shoulder to shoulder in an
effort to do something, | say makes it
fitting that this small country should
express the first note of approval in
no uncertain way of this great meas
ure before us, and | deem it particu-
larly gracious that those primarily re-
spcnsible should invite us here to rep
I resent on the side of the Atlantic, the
empire which you cannot get away
from, and to hear what has been so
forcibly said by Mr.. Smith, and also
join in supporting the resolution. CAP
plause.)
q now ask you what are the factors
that are compelling this community to
give the most serious consideration to
this subject? The first is what has al
ready been touched upon-the terrible
penditure of war. During the fnan-
cial year which ended in 1910 the
United States spent the enormous sum
of $462 600, 900, or $40 per head of
the population, in ornaments in its
defense, and by that l include the eX
penditure of the army, navy, the pen
sion fund, and the charges on the ma
tional debt, and Great Britain spent
$422,OO0,00O, the equivalent of over 81
per capita of it's comparatively small
population,
The second is the pity of it that
two great nations who determine, they
say, that they shall do that which is
right, and then when they come to
point on which they disagree, they
fall back upon the arbitrament of war,
with it's destruction of property and
lives, and it's legacy of hate, which
takes years to live down. Is it not
necessary as they look upon it that
they should take note of the cost of
living and the increase of social legis-
! lation, and the ever-increasing burden
of those armies?
1T was a natural thing that during
the discussion in the British House of
Commons last month, on the very sub
iect of these armies, that the foreign
secretary, Sir Edward Grey, replied to
the President of the United States,
which two together touched sympa-
thetic chords in the hearts of the
whole world 1t was in December that
President Taft uttered his great pro-
nouncement, which is the base of our
great meeting here tonight. He ut
| tered these words in the course of his
| speech: If we can negotiate and put
through a positive agreement with
some other nation to abide by the ad-
judication of an international arbitral
court in every issue which cannot be
settled by negotiations, no matter
what it involves, whether a territory
or money, we shall have made long
step forward by demonstrating that it
is possible for two nations, at least,
to establish between them the same
system of due process of law which
exists between individuals under a
government (Applause.)
Events move quickly, and it is
startling to know that already con-
crete proposals for putting this into
effect have been put before the two
governments, the establishment of, il
l may be permitted to use the term, a
supernatural court of the world. 1t
may not at once be possible to carry
these into effect. 1t is true that pub
! lie opinion has to be tested But it
would be mistake to think that the
proposals have been launched on us
= Unexpectedly, for as far back as 1897
the matter was discussed in the cabi-
nets of President Cleveland and Lord
| Salisbury. Does it not seem a remark
able fact that it was left for the op-
posite parties in both nations to bring
this proposal to a practical issue? The
difficulties must be great, and there is
nothing to be gained by belittling
them, either from the opposition, or
the difference of the ultra conserva-
tiyes We cannot get away from the
fact that it is not a board of arbitra-
ton, but court of justice. AS has
been frequently stated, questions Oh
honor and territory will not be sub