El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-10-03

entered into, unless in such case as |
80 ~ belgium there is Willingness 70
faI-e efficient action under lhen- mere /
go ~ M better Illustration OF how |
artremelv complicated ana uLLLlCull d
fTi7e- n Is in practice instead OF IN |
theory to make even a sillalI au' eliioe Al /
the cause Of peace
~ course. believe that interna-
tional opinion can do something 20
arrest wrong; but only II y IS AIouseI
and finds some method OF eleat anu
ForcefuI EXPRESSION For example
hone that it has been aroused 70 the
point Of preventing any repetl.loh al
the expense Of Brussels OF lhe eesI. -, "
fion which has befallen LouFalh- me
-1seceful peoble Of Brussels now hve
n 5read Of what may happen 10 them
n me Germans should eTacuaue the
What Might Happen.
In such an event it is possible that
half a dozen fanatlcss or naLL Z uo-sn
Young roughs Of the Apache tyPe' "a
snite Of everything that good cluzena
NAV do, will from some buildlnS IRE on
fhe retiring soldiers. In sucn event the
offenders ought TO be and must pc
treated with instant and unsparlng
rFgor and those clearly guilty OF aid
ing or shielding them should also De 50
trested But II in such case Brussels
AZ in whole or in part DESTROYED as
T,r1y- in was destroyed, those Destroy
- ~ Zvf1I ne guilty. Of a capital crime
l a5stI n tc-iviIizstion; and it is heartily
~ he regretted that civilized nations
have not devised some method by which
the collective power OF ciVillzalloh can
he used to prevent such crimes.
In every great city there are plenty
~ reckless or fanatical or downright
evil rmen eagerly ready 10 90 some act
which is abhorrent TO the vast majority
Of their fellows; and it is wicked TO
-,unish with cruel severity immense
multitudes Of innocent men, women
and children for the misdeeds OF a lew
rascals or fanatics OF course, II IS
eminently right 10 punish Dy oealh
these rascals or fanatics themselves
Cause of Peace RidIculed-
Evi,51,- ,aonle who know little OF life
and nothing whatever Of the great
forces of international rlValrys nave
exposed the cause Of peace TO rlolcuIe
bv believing that serious wars could
he avoided through arbitration treaLleSi
Deace treaties. neutrality treaties and
the action Of the Hague court Wlthout
putting force behind such treaties and
such action. The simple TACT Is thal
none Of these existing treaties and no
function of the Hague court hitherto
planned and exercised have eNerted or
cculd exert the very smallest influence
IN maintaining peace when great con-
flicting international passions are
aroused and great conflicting national
interests are at stake.
It happens that wars have been more
numerous in the IS years since the IIrst
Hague conference than In the IS years
prior to it It was Russia that called
the first and second Hague conferences,
and in the interval she fought the war
with Japan, and is nov fighting far
greater war.
The Hague Conference.
We bore a prominent part at the
Hague conference; but If the Hague
court had been in existence in 1898 IL
could not have had the smallest effect
upon our war with Spalns and neither
would any possible arbitration treaty
or peace treaty have had any effect
At the present moment Great Britain
owes its immunity from invasion pure
" to its navy and to the fact that that
navy has been sedulOusly exercised IN
time Of peace so as to prepare II FOR
war.
Great Britain has always been will
ing TO enter into any reasonable-and
into some unreasonable-peac and ar
bitration treaties; but her fate now
would have been the fate Of Belgium
ana would not have been hindered in
the smallest degree by these treaties, II
she had not possessed a flrstclass navy.
The navy has done a thousand times
more for her peace than all the arbi-
tratiOn treaties and peace treaties Of
the type now existing that the wit OF
man could invent ! believe that ma
tional agreement in the future can do
much toward minimizing the chance for
war; but it must be by proceeding
along different lines from those hith-
erto followed and in an entirely diff
ferent spirit from the ultra-pacificist
or professional peaee-at-any-pFiee
Hague Court Limited.
The Hague court has served a very
limited, but a useful purpose Some,
although only small number, Of the
existing peace and arbitration treaties
have served useful purpose But the
uurn0En and the enrvica have hnen
strictly limited Issues often arise be-
tween nations, which are not Of first
class importance, which do not affect
their vital honor and interest, but
which, II left unsettled, may eventually
cause irritation that will have the
worst possible results.
The Hague court and the different
treaties in question provide instrument
talities for settling such disputes where
the nations involved really wish 70
Eettle them, but might be unable to do
80 If means were not supplied. This IS
q real service and one well worth rem
dering- These treaties and the Hague
court have rendered such service again
and again IN time past
Too Much Expected.
It has been a misfortune that some
worthy people have anticipated too
much ana claimed too much in refer
ence TO them, for the failure OF the
excessive claims has blinded men TO
expect from them what they cannot
give is merely shortsighted. To assert
that they will give what they cannot
give is mischievOus. To promise that
they will give what they cannot give, is
not only miscnievOus, but hypocriucal;
and It is for this reason that such
treaties like the 19 or p all-inclusive
arbitration or peace treaties recently
negotiated at Washington, although
unimDortant, are Slightly harmful.
The Hague court has proved worth
less in the present gigantic crisis.
There is hardly Hague treaty which
has not in some respect been violated
However, a step towards the peaceful
settlement Of questions at issue be-
tween nations which are not vital has
been accomplished by the Hague court
and by rational or limited peace or
arbitration treaties in the past
To Make Pence Effective.
Our business is TO try TO make this
court Of more effect and to enlarge the
class Of cases where its actions Will be
valuable. IN order 20 do this. we must
endeavOr TO put an international police
force behind this international judi
ciary- At the same time we must re-
fuse do or nuvf hfnar 5uefnrara