Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-02-19

Washington, d. c., Feb. 16.-The
undersigned have been associated for
some years in the execution of trust
to promote international peace and
our duties have involved continual
survey of the efforts to that end thro-
ughout the world.
We wish to say to all friends of
peace that the dreadful war nowrag-
ing affords no just cause for dis
enlargement, no discredit to past eff
forts, and no reason to doubt that
still greater efforts in the future may
be effective and useful.
The war ITSELF is teaching the
gospel of peace through lesson so
shocking and so terrible that the most
indifferent can not fail to attend and
understand it.
Not only have the destruction of
life, the devastation and the suffering
in the warning countries passed all
experience but the cessation of pro-
duction, the closing of markets, the
blocking of trade routes, the inter
ruption of exchanges, have effected
industry and caused ruin and poverty
in all the peaceful countries of the
world.
The universal interdependence of
nations has been demonstrated and
the truth forced upon every mind
that the peace of all nations is the
vital concern of every nation.
To cast our weak protest among
the tremendous forces that are urg-
ing on the great conflict would be
futile; but the end of this war will
come before long and then the great
question will stand for answer:
1nccAn IL
sacrifice lost?
That question the belligerent ma
tons only will have the power to an
swer; but every one in the world will
be entitled to be heard upon it, for it
will be Il question of civilization, the
most momentous of the era.
1t seems incredible that after this
the stricken people will set their feet
in the same old paths of policy and
suspicion which must lead them again
to the same result.
Finding expression through n great
multitude of voices everywhere the
general public opinion of mankind
should influence the minds of the ne
gotiators who settle the terms of
peace and inspire them to new de-
parture in the establishment of JUS
tice as the rule of international rela-
tions.
While we must not be overconfident
of our individual qualifications to
point out the detailed method
through which the result may be ac-
complished, we may still advocate
measures which seem practicable and
appropriate to the purpose
We can see that definite rules of
national conduct should be agreed
upon; that court of competent juris-
diction should be established to Judge
of national conformity to those rules;
and that new sanctions should be pro-
vided to compel respect for the iudg-
ments rendered.
Above all the motive and spirit of
the new institutions should be clearly
and fully. not the promotion of ambi-
ton or the extension of power, but the
! safe guarding of human rights and
the perfection of individual liberty.
Toward this high end tine courage
and hope and conviction of the hum
olest citizen of the most distant land
NAL contribute.
(Signed) Joseph II. Choate, Andrew
ID. White John w. Foster, Elihu Root,
Luk Ike r.. Wright, Charlemange Tower,
Robert S. Woodward, Austen G.. Fox,
Jacob c. Schmidlapp, Thomas Burke,
Robert 5. Brookings. Oscar S. Straus,
Samuel Mather. James l.. Slayden,
John Sharp Williams. Charles l.. Tay-
lor, Henry S. Pritchett, William II.
Howard, Cleveland II. Dodge, Robert
a. Franks, George w. Perkins, Mich
olas Murray Butler, Andrew ]. Monta-
que, Arthur William Foster, James
Brown Scott.