The Washington herald., 1911-11-20
BY JAMES CREELMAN.


Baltimore, Nov 1s.-"I sincerely hope
that the new arbitration treaties nego-
tiated by our national government with
Great Britain and France will be ratified
by the Senate" said Cardinal Gibbons
They should receive the support Of the
whole country. 1t is Of the utmost i'm
portance that civilized nations should
bind themselves in advance to submit
to arbitration all international questions
which can be settled by the application
Of principles of law and equity, and
can see no reason why there should not
be appointed joint commissions to inves-
tigate International controversies and
determine whether particular questions
are of such a character, so that each ma
ton will be in honor bound to submit
those issues to International arbitration
rather than to resort to war. That idea
represents the best spirit Of the age. II
has behind It the Endorsement of the
Christian world"
It was something to sit beside the
venerable primate of the Catholic Church
the call to international peace that Is
stirring the men and women Of all civil
lied countries. In his Baltimore home,
surrounded by memorials of his friends,
dead and living, among them the great
est and noblest of earth. he seemed so
frail, so gentle, so remote from the sor-
did strife and ugly commonplace Of vul-
gar life. But in spite OF his seventy
seven years and the sweetness and sim
plicity Of his life, Cardinal Gibbons
seems as much statesman as churchman,
and there is a singular and affecting
directness in his manner, an unmistaka-
BILE, and sometimes dramatic, ring OF
American patriotism in what he says and
how he says II. When he speaks Of the
present and future of the United States
his bIue-gray eyes light up with pride
and bve. his slender figure grows more
erect, his keen, intellectual countenance
shines with enthusiasm, and his whole
manner betrays the strings of emotion.
One gets a rare and lasting impression
Of profound patriotism.
Held in VeneratIOn.
The rain drifted mildly against the win
dows as we talked, yet even the hum
blest pedestrian in the street looked UP
as he passed the white-haired cardinals
house. For all the princely scarlet Of his
dress, he is recognized as a man of the
people.
Among the many advantages OF inter-
national arbitration" continued the car
dinal, 1T seems to me to be a very serv-
iceable breakwater against war because
its deliberate and orderly procedure gives
q hfhIOi DlOOu llIIle 10 cool. Formerly
1t was only necessary to slap the face of
foreign minister and that was consid-
cred sufficient casus belu. Think of a
condition in which a personal affront like
that was regarded as a justification for
the slaughter of multitudes!
Duels between individuals were once
frequent in this country. Even in the
United States Senate and the House Of
Representatives. an insult would be fol-
lowed by armed combat. The nation, how
ever, has grown wiser and better, and the
duel has been relegated TO the museum
OF extinct social monstrosities / do not
see why the same influence that led to
the suppression of duels between !ndf-
viduals should not produce a like result
in the affairs Of nations, which are sim
ply aggregatiOns Of individuals. General
international arbitration treaties seem
to me to be the surest and quickest means
through which the universal peace may
be effected, or at least approached.
NOncombatant Also Suffers.
When we consider the evils of war
our eyes are directed almost exclusively
to the combatants themselves We have
no thoughts for the noncombatants. The