The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-12-31

cellor in Europe, and the east. TIL
secretary of state has overturned ever,
court in christendom, and evoked
kindly sentiment from all, and toda,
two great, wise treaties with Franc,
and England-the two nearest worl,
powers, stand completed and waitin.
the laggard senate vote while third
our great good friend Germany, mus
follow fast. President Taft risin,
] above the FIRE OF faction on, the econ
omic passion of the times, has linked
| mis- name and fame beyond all question
70 the immortal movement of tn.
tines
The president had not prepared an,
advance speech, and his extemporan
i!eous utteranees were much slower
sand deliberate than usual.
The Presidents Speech.
! 1t was after s:45 when Toastmastel
John Temple Graves introduced Pres
ident Taft. He was greeted with 8
volley of handclapping and everybody
stood while the band played the ma
tional anthem.
This is one grand peace jubilee,
began Mr.. Taft, and a general smile
passed over the faces of his auditors
/ There have been some conversations
here about discord which cannot un
derstand, but there has been no open
talk of discord. AS matter of fact
/ we have heard nothing of it on the
| Potomac
This sally was greeted with loud
laughter from all parts of the banquet
! hail.
Looking into the eyes of these
beautiful ladies and remembering that
! they are to have some voice in our
political government, continued Taft,
Il cannot believe that there is any
smoothing to do in this celebration.
am glad to be here because | am in
favor Of peace in the most direct way
to get it. could talk to you for
I: hours about peace and still have a
great deal to say.
There are twenty-one countries.
counting the Dominion of Canada. on
this continent, all of which have
stable governments, excepting the five
central American countries We have
found it very important to consider
these FIVE Central American countries
since we have under construction the
Panama canal, and since we have be-
gun to consider our southern business
relations, and it seems to me it is our
duty, as the leading republic, to lend
Our assistance in every possible way to
these five nations, so that their gov
ernments may gain the stability which
Is so urgently needed
Every movement for international
disarmament has proven failure.
Congress has been advised that such
plan is futile. But every nation
must have an arbitral court to settle
all questions, and until we get such
court we shall have armies and navies
and we shall have no other method OF
avoiding war.
regard these treaties with Eng
land and France as the first stems TO-
ward securing the arbitral courts for
settling all these questions OF inter.
national disputes and it must be a
court into whose Judgment we will
commit every question that is likely
to plunge two nations into war.
That arbitration is useful doubt
not. but individual instances are not
sufficient. We must combine all into
an entire court of arbitration and we
must submit to that court every ques-
ton that may possibly arise.
The arbitration treaties OF the
present day exclude questions OF ma
tional honor and vital interest. We
might as well say that we will arbi.
trate all questions except question
that is likely to lead to war
cannot see why question of ma
tional honor may not be included. n
am not here to take that back. Ii
there ever was a question that ought
to be settled by arbitration, it most
surely is the question affecting ma
tional honor, because the person most
affected is not in position to con.
slider it nationally or personally
The president then talked of the
wager OF battle in which English
men formerly met in a "a foot ring
and decided with swords which was
in the right. This. he declared,
awakened national humor which
soon did away with such an erroneous
idea Of justice.
4 ask YOU" he said, whether this
is any more humorous method between
individuals than it would be for the
settling Of questions between nations?
At this point Andrew Carnegie cleo
trified the diners with loud "No"
which rang through the room and /
brought forth much applause
III two nations fight, and We are /
beaten, we do not say the Lord was
with US; We say we had the weaker
army But II we win, we say the Lord
is with us. Does that not appeal to
your sane sense OF humor? Now L
ask II 1t Is not fairer to have these
questions OF national honor settled by
.crld-renowned jurists, and thus
avoid SO humorous a situation: this
s too serious a matter to be made