White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1916-06-02
PLAN TO UNITE FOR
A LASTING PEACE
LEAGUE TO ENFORCE PEACE is
NOT LIKELY TO CONSIDER THE
PRESENT CONFLICT.
EX-PREsIDENT TAFT IN FAVOR
League Not Urging the U. s. to Take
Steps to Stop Present Great War
Permanent Peace for Future
Is Their Object.

Washington. = The League to En-
force Peace, formed year ago in In
dependence hall at Philadelphia, with
the aim of securing lasting world
peace at the close of the European
war, held it's first annual meeting here
the latter part of May, and heard it's
president, William H. Taft, and other
men prominent in the country's af-
fairs state the purposes of the organ
ization and outline what it hopes to
accomplish.
Pass Up Present War.
Slight reference was made to ending
the present war. The opening decla-
ration by Mr. Taft in calling the meet
ing to order was that the league was
not urging the administration to take
steps to stop the conflict Some dele
gates, though, expressed hope that
such a movement would grow out of
the meeting and did not disguise their
belief that President Wilson's address
might be significant in this connec-
ton.
The leagues determination to con-
fine it's efforts to establishing per-
manent peace for the future was de-
scribed by Mr.. Taft as developing
from belief that definite purpose,
with limitations, was more likely to be
realized than if the league essayed too
much.
Although we look with the great
est satisfaction on any indications that
the war is coming to an end" he said,
ito introduce here movements looking
to this end would weaken our driving
force"
At the luncheon officers of the
league and delegates started move
ment to raise 100000 to establish
branches of the league in every state
of the Union and for preliminary eff.
forts to institute branches abroad.
For Union of Nations.
The purposes of the league, as laid
down by Mr.. Taft, who, with Presl-
dent Lowell of Harvard, had much to
do with organizing the movement, are
to form a world league of the great
nations, with power to settle disputes
between it's members Signatory
powers would use Jointly their mill
tary and economic forces against any
one of their number which went to
war against another of the signato-
ries before questions in dispute were
submitted to the league.
Mr.. Taft denied that entrance by the
United States into such a federation
would curtail the power and authority
of either the president or congress by
limiting the constitutional discretion
of congress to declare war.
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, out
lined in an address read in his alb
sence five principles which he declar-
ed represent not only the interna-
tional program for which labor will
work in the future, but for which
labor has been contending through
the years." These principles, he said,
are as follows:
Would End Autocracy.
Cit must be a program under
which the military forces of the world
will be excused from the dictation of
arbitrary autocracy and absolute Sc
cret diplomacy and dedicated to the
maintenance Of a higher standard of
morals, law and justice.
GA program elastic enough to ad-
nit Of those fundamental changes that
the growing life of the world makes
inevitable. Labor will oppose any fed
Grafton of nations so organized that
the more powerful nations can use the
machinery to maintain the status quo
against the demands for change made
in the interest of democracy and large
opportunity for the masses
ga program under which the
small as well as the large nations will
have free hand in every just and
individual development, making it i'm
possible for few strong nations to
dictate policies and development of
the world
GA program that will give the
greater influence in those de-
cisions that plunge the nations into
war.
GA program under which the in
machinery that is created
will afford a medium through which
all classes Of society can voice their
Judgment and register their demands"
President Wilson's Speech.
President Wilson declared in his ad-
dress that the United States was ready
to join in any feasible association of
nations to preserve the peace of the
world against political ambition and
selfish hostility" and in service Of "a
common order, common justice and a
peace" He expressed the
hope that terms of peace which end
the present war would include such an
Outlining suggestions for peace,
which the president said he hoped the
United States would make when it has
opportunity to do 80, he included pro-
vision for absolute freedom of the seas,
4 contention which has been the key
stone of all the diplomatic discussions
with Germany and Great Britain, and
virtual guarantees of territorial integ-
'ity and political independence.
Officials interpreted the presidents
as preliminary feeler for
peace in Europe. He outlined the con-