The Washington herald., 1913-04-22

Peace OF WORLD
IS BRYAN'S Plan
Secretary Of State Will APP
pear Before Senate Com
mittee Tomorrow:
ALL NATIONS INCLUDED
Outline Indicates that Actual Hostiities
Would Not Be Started Without
Second Thought.
ALL NATIONS INCLUDED

William ]. Bryan, Secretary of State.
is about to launch his first distinctive
policy of international Importance. 1t
is a plan for the promotion of world
peace, which contemplates the negotia-
ton of treaties between the United
States and all the civilized nations of
the earth. II will have as its most orig
inal feature a suggestion of temporary
limitation upon the armament and war
preparations of disputing nations.
Mr.. Bryan already has discussed his
plan informally with members Of the
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
and he has asked for a hearing before
that committee on next "Wednesday to
discuss the plan in detail.
Members of the Senate havel earned
as yet only a general outline of the
Bryan plan, but that is sufficient to in
dictate that Mr.. Bryan hopes to promote
world peace through setting UP inter-
national machinery which will open the
way for nations to cool Off in times when
passions are running high and will afford
an opportunity for a second thought.
Mr.. Bryan's plan contemplates the ne
gotiation of arbitration treaties which
will provide for the reference of all
questions of dispute, including those of
vital interest and national honor, to an
international court Of inquiry. The find
ings of this court, members of the
Senate understand the plan, are to be
merely findings of fact, and are not to
be binding on either nation. But pend
ing the arbitration the disputing nations,
under the terms of the proposed treaties,
will be bound to make no change in their
military strength or status, not to in
crease their armament, mobilize troops,
or in any way change the military policy
as il existed at the beginning of the con-
troversy.
Time TO Cool or.
The entire groundwork of the Bryan
plan seems to consist in the idea that if
contesting nations are only to have the
opportunity for a calm second thought
and are relieved from the irritating Incl
dental irritation that comes from war
preparations, the chances are that arm
ed conflict will be avoided.
In some of its details the Bryan plan
clearly resembles that outlined by Secre-
tary Knox, and which is embodied in the
fragmentary remains of the general
arbitration treaties ratified by the SEN
ate.
Mr.. Bryan apparently intends from the
outset TO avoid the pitfalls that wreck
ed the efforts of the Taft administration
This is indicated. not only by his deter
mination to avoid the Objectionable fea-
lures of the Taft plan, but also to take
the Senate committee into his confidence
in regard to the scheme. Secretary
knoX's method of procedure was entirely
different. He padded his own canoe,
leaving the Senate committee in the dark
until he dropped the treaty down in their
laps. AS a result he usually hit rock.
and was tipped out Mr.. Bryan proposes
TO make the members of the Senate COM
mittee parties to his plan Of arbitration,
and that is the purpose of the conference
which he has asked for next Wednes-
day
Members of Congress who have MAIN
tanned a general idea of Mr.. Bryan's
ideas say that he believes that most
armed conflicts between nations could be
avoided if the means were afforded for
nations to withdraw with dignity from
situations into which they have been
plunged through passion and prejudice.
1t is pointed out by those who have
talked with Mr.. Bryan that the -diplo-
matte representatives of disputing nations
invariably make claims and charges far
beyond what they hope to obtain or es-
tablish. These eXtravagant claims are
usually made with a knowledge that
they will not be satisfied in full but
that they will furnish groundwork for
obtaining more favorable settlement. Ac-
cording to the Bryan idea understood
at the Capitol, this practice leads nations
which have a source of irritation between
them to false positions which when sup
ported by jngoeism at home makes it
impossible for them to withdraw without
a resort to arms The Bryan plan con-
templates affording an opportunity for
relieving Just such situations.