Evening star., 1915-06-17
American PubIicists Meet at
independence Hall to Dis
cuss Proposals.
FORMER PRESIDENT TAFT
LEADER OF MOVEMENT
Would Use Military Force Of All
Powers to Prevent Untimely
Declarations of War.

PHILADELPHIA, June 17-Men dis
tinguished in many walks of life gath
cred at historic Independence Hall to-
day at a conference to consider the
adoption of proposals for a League OF
Peace and to decide upon steps to be
taken with a view to obtaining the
support Of public opinion and of gov
ernments.
The meeting was called by the ma
tional provisional committee which in
cludes in it's membership we'll known
publicists. educators, peace advocates,
editors and economists and was pre-
sided over by Former President Will
liam Howard Taft.
The plan was largely the idea OF the
former President and is understood
to have the personal though unofficial
Endorsement of President Wilson.
At a banquet given by the provis-
ional committee last night Mr.. Taft
outlined the purposes of the confer
ence. He declared he was firmly of the
opinion that a league of peace could be
formed which would enable nations to
avoid war by furnishing a practical
means for settling international quar-
binding heat of passion had cooled.
I'VE are not peace-at-any-price men,.
he said, because we do not think we
have reached the time when plan
based on the complete abolition of
war is practical"
Four Articles Proposed.
upon by the provisional committee as
a basis for the conference were pre-
sented to the meeting today and it was
200
that they would be adopted and sent
to President Wilson for his consider
alton and to the heads of other ma
tions. The articles are as follows:
First: All justiciable questions
arising between the signatory powers,
not settled by negotiations, shall be
submitted to a judicial tribunal for
hearing and judgment both upon the
merits and upon any issue as to its
Jurisdiction of the question.
Second: All non-justiciable questions
arising between the signatories and
submitted to a council of Cancellation
for hearing, consideration and recon-
mendation.
Third: The signatory powers shall
jointly use their military forces to
prevent any one of their number from
going to war or committing acts OF
hostility against another of the sigma
tories before any question arising
shall be submitted as provided in the
foregoing.
Fourth: Conferences between the
signatory powers shall be held from
time to time to formulate and codify
rules of international law. which, un-
less some signatory shall signify its
dissent within a stated period. shall
thereafter govern in the decisions of
the judicial tribunal mentioned in
article one.
Prominent Speakers.
The morning session of the confer
ence was limited to formal addresses,
among the speakers being John Bates
Clark Of Columbia University, Theo-
dore Marburg Of Baltimore, former
United States minister to Belgium. and
Edward A. Filene, representing the
Chamber of Commerce OF the UNITED
States
Prominent men from many sections
of the country spoke at the afternoon
meeting, which was open for general
discussion.
The conference was held in what was
known in colonial days as banquet hall
on the second floor Of the historic
statehouse. Before beginning their de-
liberations the members OF the con-
ference viewed the liberty bell in its
glass case, gaZed upon the portraits OF
George Washington, the signers of the
Declaration of Independence, the kings
of England who relSned over the
colonies and many patriots of colonial
days.
Object Of Meeting Outlined.
Former President Taft, in opening
the conference, briefly outlined the OBJ
ject of the meeting. He expressed
qualification at the large attendance
of those who favored the prevention of
war through league of peace.
Mr.. Taft explained the difference be-
tween justiciable and nonj justiciable
questions between nations which a
league of peace could take up. He
likened the proposed league to the
states in the American Union and said
there was no reason why nations could
not federate in a somewhat similar
way The judicial tribunal or the coun-
Gil of conciliation, proposed in the
lea que of peace scheme, could settle
disputes between nations much in the
same way as the Supreme Court of the
United States adjusts disputes between
the states. He mentioned many inter-
national cases that have been settled
by judicial tribunals, notably the Can
adian boundary and seal fisheries cases.
The proposed league, Mr.. Taft said,
may not abolish war, but would make
it improbable.
If we can prevent war for twenty
years." he said I'VE have at least ac-
complished something.
Organization Created.