Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-11-24
RALLYING TO ARBITRATION
TREATIES.

L. e. SENATE VIII once more JHleSu OuL
the treatise providing for the arbitra-
.tion Of differences between this coun-
TRY and England and France, with
Likelihood, at least. OF Germany be
ling added to the list. Japan, too, It
must not be forgotten. has eXDIo ssed
Ia willingness, if not a desire, to be in
'cluded in the list of countries between
whom and this government there shall
island as a barrier to precipitate war
the reference of international disputes
TO an arbitration tribunal. The jeal-
,ousy Of the Senate, its desire to pre-
serve unimpaired every inch of its
prer0gatiyes, is believed to be the
only stumbling stone to the success
Iful contamination of the treaties. The
passing of several senators and tho
general attitude Of the country in fav-
Tor of the treaties is apt to bear down
the old opposition and bring about q
final favorable consideration Of the
treaties.
Some very strong Church support
has been secured for the treaties.
Leading Protestant denominations,
men of high standing in Judaism, and
the leaders of the Catholic church,
have given their allegiance to the meas
uTes. One of the latest to signify
strong approval and to give public eX-
preston to hearty endorsement of the
treaties, has been Cardinal Gibbons
AS one element of the opposition ha.'
come from the Irish-American elC
ment, mainly identified with his
| Church, Cardinal Gibbons strong pro-
@ouacement in favor of the treaties
will doubtless assist materially in re-
moving the opposition from that
source. Said he in a recent inter
view:
"Duels between individuals were
orcC frequent in this country. Even
| il. the United States Senate and the
House Of Representative an insult
would be fol- by armed com
bat. The nation, however, has grown
wiser and better, and the duel has
been relegated to the museum of eX-
| tinct social monstrosities. | do not
see why the same influence that led to
the Suppression of duels between indi-
viduals should not produce a like re-
suit in the affairs of nations, which
are simply aggregations of individu-
ais. 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.
when we consider the evils of war
ICur eyes are directed almost eXcluS-
lively to the combatants themselves
We have no thoughts for the non-com-
batants. The truth is that the most
frightful sufferings of war are born by
the wives and children of those who
fight in the field.
The financial side of war, too has
it's strong aspect. 1t is proper that
the world at large should have some
thing to say about quarrels between
particular nations The commerce OF
of nations is now so involved and
related that war between two nations
is an interference with all nations
Men will not fight if they have time
to grow cool Nations will not fight if
they have time to think. The penal
ties and degradations of war are TOO
great, the agonies of the weak and
helpless, the aged and other non-cOm-
batants are too horrible, the waste
of wealth, the destruction of industry
and commerce are too vast, to be en-
dured when there is way to peace. |
am in favor of the general arbitration
treaty principle and indorse the idea
and France because | believe that
questions which might otherwise re-
suit in war sould be first taken away
from the influence of party politics
and considered seriously in the calm
neutral air of some impartial tribunal
whose findings must, at least morally,
bind the contending nations to submit
to international arbitration all ques-
tics which may be found solvable ac-
cording to principles of law or equity.
That the cause of international
peace is gaining ground is evident
from the fact that war is no longer
precipitated among Christian nations,
as in former times, at the within of the
sovereign; but the voice of the people
is heard through their representatives