The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-05-02
ANNIVERSARY
Of Agreement Between u. S.
And Canada
Document Signed Just Ninety
Nine Years Ago

IT was Just 80 years ago that two
men. sitting in Washington, earnestly
trying to benefit the people who in.
habit the American continent, agreed
to the disarmament OF the border be-
tween the United States and Canada.
A memorable document vas then and
there written which may serve as a
model in the great peace treaties
which must inevitably be signed by
the European powers. This being the
99th anniversary Of the agreement.
the following article, written by FL
bert Hubbard in 1908, is reproduced:
THE coast line between Canada
and the United States, from the st.
Lawrence river to Lake Superior, is
about 1000 miles. In the year 1912
there were az forts, big and little, on
the United States side, and about the
same number frowned at us from
| Canada.
AT Fort Niagara alone there were
at one time 5000 troops. Altogether,
we had on the Great Lakes over
hundred craft devoted 10 the art of
| fighting-this in the interest of peace.
"In one little battle we had with
our British cousins on Lake Erie,
Commodore Perry, rash youth of 81,
captured six British ships and killed
300 men. A little before this the
British destroyed ten ships for us
and killed 200 Americans.
After the war of 1912 was ended
and peace declared, both sides got
busy, very busy, strengthening the
forts and building warships. At Wa
tertown, Conneaut, Erie, Port Huron,
Cleveland and Detroit were ship
yards where hundreds OF men were
working night and day building war
ships. Not that war was imminent,
but the statement of the time said
there was nothing like prepared
ness. In Canada things were much
the same. and there were threats that
Perry's famous message, I'VE have
met the enemy and they are ours"
would soon be reversed.
Suddenly, but very quietly, two
men in Washington got together and
made an agreement. One man was
Acting Secretary of State Richard
Rush of Philadelphia. The other was
Charles Bagot, minister to the United
| States from England. Rush was of
Quaker parentage, and, naturally, was
opposed to the business of war.
'Bagot had seen enough of lighting
to know that was neither glorious nor
amusing. Rush wrote out a memo
randum Of agreement which he head
ed "AH Arrangement" The docu-
ment is written on one side of sin
gle sheet of paper, and is dated April
IS, 1877. Here is a copy:
1. The naval forces henceforth
to be maintained upon the Great
Lakes shall be confined to the
following vessels on each side:
q. On Lake Ontario / vessel,
not to exceed 100 tons burden,
carrying not more than twenty
FIVE men and one 1S-pound can
non.
g. On the upper lakes two
vessels of same burden and
armed in a like way.
a. On Lake Champlain one
vessel OF like size and armament.
'5. All other vessels to be at
once dismantled, and no other
vessel of war shall be built or
armed along the st. Lawrence
river or the Great Lakes
"This agreement has been relig-
It's effect was to stop work at once
It's effect was to stop work at aonce
on the fortifications, and cause dis
armament along the coast lakes. Sc
far as we know, the agreement will
continue for all time Both parties
are satisfied, and in fact, so naturally
has it been accepted, very few people
know of its existence.
Fear, greed and vanity are the
J three things that stand in the way OF
: disarmament. But the thinking peo
pie of the world are beginning to see
the perpetuity of the race demands
the abolition OF war
"rhe absurdity of avowed violence
between nations that clamorously
proclaim themselves Christians is
too evident to discuss. If two coun
tries can make an arrangement linn
iting the matter of armament, anC
this arrangement holds for a hundred
years, can not nine countries do tn,
same? All that is needed is a few
soldiers TO do police duty.