Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-14

thought and shrewdest calculation of the
most sagacious counsellors and diplomats. in
international life. They have been voted
on by the parliaments of the world and vised
by the rulers of the earth. They contain the
threats of war, the assurances of peace, and
the protection of, or menace to, billions of
dollars worth of trade. Some of the pacts
last until abrogated by the Governments
concerned. Others are made for fixed
period of years. Still others are signed with
the stipulation that they may at a certain
time be revised or remade.
At the time of this writing it is being con-
tended that the relations between Japan and
Great Britain are so close that the United
States, in order to accomplish the arbitra-
ton treaty with Great Britain, must also in
clude in the terms of the document the land
of the NIikado. 1t is also a puzzle how
Russia, Japan, and China could frame arbi-
tration treaties that, looking to the abolition
of war, would remove from each Power the
fear that she might get the worst of an argu
ment before court of arbitration.
These are merely instances of the tangled
mass of circumstances now confronting the
rapid advance of the arbitration preachment.
Many treaties must expire, and many must
be made anew, before the world finds itself
ready to embrace, as a harmonious whole,
The pIOpOSlllOH Iilc "dl ups Sdu SO
to the bottom of the sea and all the cannon
can be made into plowshares When it is
considered that, in the event of Japan,
Britain, and the United States being COM
PEELED to form a three-sided agreement on
arbitration, such a work would require many
months, perhaps years, it is easily realized
that the pacification of the whole earth will
require decades of patient thought and ne
gotiation.
MUCH of all this was in the Presidents
~ mind that morning as he sat at his
desk, and, forgetful of politics and minor
issues, faced the truth that the preservation
and perpetuation of peace could come only
through tremendous work. There are two
things that bring to his face the solemn, en-
nobling expression of high determination
and consecrated effort. One is the selection
of the nations greatest men for the bench;
the other is the work for the peace of the
world. l asked him how long he had had the
plan for arbitration treaties.
Il couldn't say definitely, he replied. at
seems to me that | have always wished, as
all men wish, for universal peace. 1t seems
worse than platitude to say, i should like
to see the whole world at peace forever
But, long before | was President, it seemed
to me that the arbitration of a country's
courts could be sublimated into international
arbitration and bloodless settlement of con-
troversies.'
He made no statement, had nothing in his
manner, indicating that he entertained any
idea of being able to claim the pioneer place
in the movement toward worldwide peace.
There was only one conviction to be drawn
from what he said and the manner of its
saying: Realizing that humanity and ad-
vancing civilization demanded an end of
warfare, he was seeking as best he might for
the means of attaining the wished for goal.
| The only utterance he ever made showing
that he regarded himself as a leader in the
cause is contained in a speech made more
than two years ago in New York City before
the American Peace Arbitration League.
In that he said:
PERSONALLY, | don't see any more reason
why matters of national honor should not be
referred to a court of arbitration any more
than matters of property or matters of
national proprietorship. / know that is
going further than most men are willing to
go; but, among men, we have to submit
differences even if they involve honor. And
why should not nations do likewise?"