The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-16

beliiserents themselves gave assurance
that such initiative would not be re-
serted.
My country would not find any
thing unfriendly in such action by the
neutrals.' was the assurance given us by
the Foreign Minister Of one Of the great
belligerents. My Government would
place no obstacle In the way Of its in
stitutlon.' said the Minister of an oppos-
ing nation. 'what are the neutrals wait
ing for?' said a third, whose name ranks
high not only In his " country. but all
over the world.
plan Seriously Discussed.
1T remained to put this clarifying
Intelligence before the neutral countries.
As a result the plan Of starting modia-
Ito through tho agency OF "A continuous
conference Of the neutral nations Is to-
day being seriously discussed alike in
the Cabinets Of the beiligerent and neu-
trail countries Of Europe and In the press
Of both.
1T has been argued that IL is not the
time at present to start such a process
OF negotiation and hat no step should
be taken until oRe or the other party
has u victory. or at least until some new
military balance is struck. Thu answer
we bring is that every delay makes more
htSu tUc U<8lnrlnE OI UekOtldtlOnk,
more nations become involved md the
situation becomes moro complicated /:
that when at times in the course Of the
Mar such n balance was struck the
neutrals were u~nprepared.
The opportunity passed. For the
forces OF peace to be u~nprepared when
the hour comes is az irretrievable as for
n military leader to be unready.
1t has been argued that for such a
NnnfAraV.NA m Ia xnllAl -. a,,.. s...- ,,,H~,
one side has met with a military advan-
tage would be to favor that side. The
answer We bring Is that the proposed
conference would start mediation at a
higher level than that OF military ad-
vantage.
ut has been suggested that such a
conference would bind the neutral
ernments cooperating in 1t. The answer
We bring Is. that. as proposed. such a
conference should consist of the ablest
of the neutral countries. as
signed not to problems OF their own Gov
ernments. but to the common service OF
a supreme crisis. The situation calls
for a conference cast in "A new and
larger mould han those OF conventional
diplomacy, the Governments sending TO
IL persons drawn from social. economic
and scientific fields who have had
genuine international experience.
4 Challenge 10 Action by N~utrals.
w are but the conveyors OF evidence
which is a challenge to action by the
neutral Governments ~visited-by Dem
mark. Holland. Norway. Sweden, Switz-
erland and the United States. We in
turn bear evidence OF u rising desire and
intention OF vast companies of people IN
the neutral countries to turn a barren
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. into an active good will.
In sweden. for example. nor than 400
meetings were held In one day calling
upon the Government to act.
The excruciating burden of respon-
sibility for the hopeless continuance OF
his Wv no longer rests on the will of
the b~elligerent nations alone. II rests
also on the will OF these neutral Govern
ments and people who have been spared
It's shock. but cannot. II they would.
absolve themselves from their full share
OF responsibility for the continuance of
the war"