New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-04
THE ARBITRATION TREATIES.

There is little danger that thoughtiui
mon will oyerestimate the practical inn
portance of yesterdays treaty signing
Incident. 1t does not abolish war. II
does not make war impossible, even
among the three signatory powers
though even before the signing OF the
treaties war among. them was so i'm
probable as TO he beyond the range OF
reasonable consideration. Judicious on
servers will not attribute to IT any
supernatural control Of human passions
But it does mark the practical ending
OF danger of acrimonious controversies
among the three powers concerned: u
also marks a long step toward the CON
frmation of universal peace. and-per-
| haps most interesting Of all consldera-
| tions-that step is taken i'll new d.
rectiOn.
The first practical value Of these
treaties will he in providing a ready
means of so eXpeditiously adjusting any
differences which may arise between
! this country and either of the others
that there will he no opportunity for Ill
| feeling TO he engendered. In past years
few disputes have been so wrangied
over before settlement as 10 cause some
international ill-feeling; even, in one
OF two cases. foolish talk of war. With
these treaties in force there will be no
room for that. 1t will be matter of
course that every internatio differ
cnce will he submitted to arbitration.
That is Il long step toward universal
pcace because il sets an example which
other nations. including some which
have not been particularly we'll disposed
/ toward each other. will practically have
t. follow. There will be such thing
as international competition in irenics
a we'll as in miltarism. We have al
ready seen an earnest Of that In the
expressed desire of two or three other
| notions 10 he included in the circle Of
our arbitration treaty making, More
over as we have said, the progress thus
made differs in kind or in direction as
well as i'm degree. II is new thing, at
least for these great powers. 10 omit
the exceptions of national honor and
! vital interests" from treaties of arhitra-
ton The importance Of that omission
PAGES these treaties apart, in a class by
themselves Many will. we doubt nor,
regard it with grave misgivings. holding
that there are some matters which a
nation cannot afford 70 arbitrate. Yet
was there not once an individual code
of honor which required swords or pis-
tolls for the settlement of certain real
O. fancied wrongs? 1t may be that we
shall one day come to regard war over
matters of national honor as no more
necessary than a duel over point of
personal honor.
Without Pharisaism or undue boast
| ing. Americans may feel sincere gratifi-
cation in the fact that this splendid and
really epoch-making achievement is due
/ chiefly 10 the enlightened initiative Of
/ President Taft and the tact and dill
gence of his Secretary of State, and
| that thus America is set foremost in
! the van Of peacemaking powers. The
/ treaties Of Yesterday were made with
only two powers. But they are two Of
/ the greatest in the world. And the
| world knows that America stands ready
/ 10 enter into cOmpaCts of peace with all
others which show a similar inclination