The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-05-24
Between Two Countries
Yet Stands Good.
A REMARKABLE ACT RECALLED
When United States and Eng.
land Agreed To Disarm and
Quit Hostilities.
A SIMPLE MATTER ONCE DONE

1t was just SO years ago that tw'
men, sitting in Washington, earn
estly trying to benefit the people
who inhabit the American continent
agreed to the disarmament of the
border between the United State:
and Canada. A memorable docu
ment was then and there writ
ten which may serve as a model in
the great peace treaties which must
inevitably be signed by the European
powers. This being the 18th ami
versary of the agreement We are re-
producing an article written by Ell
bert Hubbard in 1908.
(By Ebert Hubbard.)
The coast line between Canada
and the United States, from the ST.
Lawrence river to Lake Superior, is
about 1000 miles. In the year 1872
there were forty-siX 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. Altogeth-
or we had on the Great Lakes over
a hundred craft devoted to the art
of fghting-this in the interest of
peace.
In, NTn n
British cousins, on Lake Erie, COM
modore Perry, a rash youth of 27,
captured six British ships and killed
800 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 was declared, both sides
got busy, very busy. strengthening
the forts and building warships. At
Waterfowl, Conneaut, Erie, Port
Huron, Cleveland and Detroit were
shipyards where hundreds of men
were working day and night build
ing war ships. Not that war was
imminent, but the statement of the
time said there was nothing like
preparedness. In Canada things
were much the same and there were
threats that Perry's famous mes
sage, I'VE have met the enemy and
they are ours" would soon be re-
versed.
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, nat
urally, was opposed to the business
of war.
: Bagot had seen enough of fight
ing to know that it was neither
glorious nor amusing. Rush wrote
cut a memorandum of agreement
which he headed IAN Arrangement" "
The document is written on one side
of a single sheet of paper, and ia
dated April 2S, 1917. Here is a
copy:
1.-The naval forces henceforth
TO be maintained upon the Grea;
Lakes shall be confined to the fol-
lowing vessels on each side.
2.-On Lake Ontario one vessel
not to exceed 100 tons burden, car
rying not more than 25 men and one
1S-pOund cannon.
3.-On the upper lakes two yes.
sells of the same burden and armed
in a like way.
4.-On Lake Champlain one YES
sci of like size and armament.
all other armed 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-
iously kept for ninety-one (now 99)
years. Its effect was to stop work
at once on the Qualifications. aNd
cause disarmament along the coast
lakes. So far as We know, the
agreement will continue for al
time. Beth parties are satisfied
and In fact, so naturally has IL beer
accepted, very few people know OF
its existene.
Fear, greed and vanity are the
three things that stand in the way
Of disarmament. But the thinking
people of the world are beginning tc
see the perpetuity of the race de,
mands the abolition OF war.
The absurdity of avowed violence
between nations that DANGEROUSLY