Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-03-21

, United States was the first nation TO
make use Of this court which has
since done such a benehcent work
among the nations.
The second Hague conference call
ed originally by President Roose-
welt, but actually assembled by the
Gar met on the 18th of June, 1907,
and continued in session till the 18th
of October. All OF the independent
nations Of the world were repre-
scented in it except Costa Rica, Hon
duras, Abyssinia and Liberia. There
were two hundred and forty-four
members of the conference includ-
ing secretaries. This conference will
always be notable as the first gen
eral representative assembly of the
world, and tho criticisms have been
made because of its failure to
achieve all that it's advocates had
hoped, yet there is no doubt it acc ON
plished great things for the cause of
world peace. 1t emphasized, and
improved upon the work of the first
conference Its agreements and de-
liverances greatly advanced the cause
Of arbitration among the nations, and
lessened the needless trials and
horrors of war. 1t declared unani-
mously III favor of periodic Hague
conferences hereafter, and set the
date for the meeting of the next
conference about seven years hence.
In the matter of permanent Inter
national Court of Justice, the con
ference reached practical, il not al
together formal agreement. The de
tails for the plan for this great world
court are now being worked out by
the different governments; and the
active advocates of world peace feel
warranted in indulging the glad hope
that the next conference will solve
this problem. and give 20 the nations
an acceptable, permanent, represent
ative court of arbitral justice, where
all international dispHes may be set
tied by recognized laws of equity.
This court will meet in the
Palace Of Peace at the Hague. a
beautiful building made possible by
the gift of more than a million dol
lars from Andrew Carnegie. the
various rooms of which are furnished
by the nations that are united in this
great movement for peace.
BY these conferences at the Hague,
il is said, The whole world lras
been assembled in one room. Great
Britain and Europe, the Orient and
the Occident have met as brothers
to make plans for the we'll being of
mankind and their utterances have
been echoed throughout the nations,
and have no doubt influenced the
action of those who dwell in the re-
mote parts of the world.
The most wonderful political rev.
olution that has ever been chronicled
that of China-has been thus far
the most bloodless one. and never
have Christian principles been more
dominant. or Christian manhood
more courageous and true than in this
struggle in the land of the Dragon"
Who will venture to say there is no
connection between that society,
organized one hundred years ago in
New York City, and this peaceful
revolution in the great Empire of
China?
The movement for world peace is
no longer in embryo. but we'll
developed growth, majectic tree
that is bearing fruit for the nations
It is no longer fountain in the
wilderness. known only to a few de-
voices, but the little stream that is
sued from an almost unknown source
back in the distant centuries, has
been strengthened in its onward flow
through the years, by a thousand
other rills. till they have formed a
mighty river flowing onward to the
sea, and reaching thus the nations