Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-07-10


for the formation Of world court
And few years later Mr.. Root, GU
secretary OF state, in instructing GU
delegates to the Second Conference =
The Hague. laid especial emphasis OF
this international ideal
We have taken q particular prt1,
in being the vanguard OF this zscve
ment for the PeSceAtte settlezzez
by process Of lsv 81 all 6SspGses BE
tween nSlioaS Ana these e3oSS:
have not eeez uI,scS; sSSceSS. Hoc
although IRE lxS; few decades AxNS
seen this F-SacSass tine ana &sxS.
pa; under teSTsSe STRAIN. ~ "a
tSoa has 5&reS - 50 q SzxS ss1sSasa
The award .; = coG-< - ArAss-scNac
The stEpSaacaS TNcssSAsasSSCS sAss ~
in arbitration SSS sasvs1S SrSsraSS5en-
al poSSssE2S a~opaSs-s Nesrzl grtlct
pies, sRS S1ssgsS~Gs1s human nfe. had
been xn7SS Ssaa21Se-sss,s before the
preset ~ sSsz-.
II; u tie discussions at The
EsSsvs. k>xsSr through the resist.
GScS &C JAe German Empire and It's
s1teSligss. tie efforts OF our dele
gates and those Of other governments
20 bring about general treaty OF
compulsory arbitration had failed.
And therefore this nation. having been
thwarted l. its attempt to secure
general agreement. began negotiations
with all those nations whiCa like our
own preferred the methods Of law and
peace, with the purpose OF effecting
dual arbitration treaties. And before
the end of 1914 we had signed far.
reaching treaties with 80 nations, 20
of which had been duly ratified and
proclaimed. But in this work, too,
we were made 10 feel the same oppo-
sition as al The Hague. For while
Great Britain, France, Russia, and
Italy cordially welcomed our over.
lures, the German and Austro- Hun.
garian Empires were noticeabiy alb
sent from the list of those nations
who desired by specific agreements
in advance to minimize the danger
of war.
On the eve of the present conflict,
our position toward other nations
might have been summarized under
three heads:
:. The Monroe Doctrine-We had
pledged ourselves to defend the New
World from European aggression,
and We had by word and deed made
it clear that we would not intervene
in any European dispute.
2. The Freedom of the Seas-In
every naval conference our influence
had been given in support OF he
principle that sea law to be Just and
worthy OF general respect must be
based on the consent of the governed
3. ArbitratiOn-As we had Sc
cured peace at home by referring in.
terstate disputes to a federal tribunal,
We urged similar settlement OF in.
ternational controversies. Our ideal
was permanent world court We
had already signed arbitration treat.
les not only with great powers which
might conceiyably attack us, but
even more freely with weaker neigh.
bors in order to show good faith in
recognizing the equality of all ma
lions both great and small We had
made plain to the nations our pur-
pose TO forcstall by every means in
cur power the recurrence of wars in
the world.
The outbreak OF war in 1914
caught this nation by surprise. The
peoples Of Europe had had at lease
some warnings of the coming storm,
but to lis such blind. savage on.
slaught on the ideals of civilization
had appeared impossible.
The war was incomprehensible
Either side was championed here bS
millions living among us who were
of European birth. Their contradic.
tory accusations threw our thoughts
into disarray. and in the first chaotic
days we could see no clear issue that
affected our national policy. There
was no direct assault on Oar rights.
1t seemed at first to most of us
purely European dispute, and our
minds we're not prepared to take
sides in such conflict. The Presi.
dents proctamations OF neutrality
was received by us as natural and
inevitable. 1t was quickly followed
by his appeal to the citizens of the
republic"
Every man who really loves
America will act and speak IN the
true spirit OF neutrality" he safd,
which ia the spirit OF impartiality
and fairness and friendIiness to all
concerned. E. II will be easy to
excite passion and difficult to allay
It," He expressed the fear that our
nation might become divided into
camps Of hostile opinion. Such di.
visions among us might seriously
stand In the way of the proper per.
formance Of our duty as the one great
nation at peace. the one people hold.
ing itself ready to play a part OF i'm.
partial mediation and speak counsels
OF peace and accommodation, not as