The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-07-12

Will at last bring peace to the world
was taken when our ID States
agreed to disarm and submit all
their disputes to the high tribunal
of the new federation.
And this idea of all interstate
court, which except at the time OF
our Civil War has given this Ma
ton internal peace, has profound
y influenced our foreign policy.
OF our efforts to bring others TO
our way of thinking, an historical
resume was presented by our dele
gates at the First Hague Confer
ence. A project was submitted
there for the formation of a world
court. And few years later Mr..
Root. our Secretary of State, in in
structing our delegates to the Sec
ond Conference at The Hauge, laid
especial emphasis on this same in
tcrnational ideal.
We have taken a particular pride
in being in the vanguard of this
movement for the peaceable settle
ment by process of law of all dis
putes between nations. And these
efforts have not been without sue
cess. For although the last few
decades have seen this principle
time and again put under a terri
fic strain, no nation has dared to
60 to war against the award of a
court Of arbitration. The stup-
tndous possibilities that lie in arb
!tation for solving international
problems, promoting liberal prin-
ciples, and safeguarding human
life had been amply demonstrated
before the present war began.
but in the discussion at The
Hague, largely through the resis
tance of the German Empire and
its satellites, the efforts of our del
egates and those of other Govern
ments to bring about general
treaty of compulsory arbitration
had failed. And therefore this
nation, having been thwarted in it's
attempt to secure general agree
ment, began negotiations with all
those nations which like our own
perferrrd the methods of law and
peace, with the purpose of effect
ing dual arbitration treaties. And
before the end of 1914 we had sign
cd far-reaching treaties with 30 ma,
tions, 20 of which had been duly
ratified and proclaimed. But in
this work, too, we were made to feel
the same opposition as at Ths
Hague. For while Great Britain
France, Russia and Italy cordially
welcomed our overtures, the Ger.
man and Austro-IIungarian Empi
res were noticeably absent from the
list of those nations who desired by
specific agreements in advance te
minimize the danger of war.
On the eve of the present con
flict. our position toward other ma
tions might have been summarized
under three heads:
l. The Monroe doctrine-We ha(
pledged ourselves to defend tn:
New World from European ag
grcssion, and we had by word ant
t:red made it clear that we woule
rot intervene in any Europca,
diputes.
3. The freedom of he srax-Tl
every naval conference our infu
cnce had been given in support Of
the principle that sea law to BIZ
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
interstate disputes to /: i:a
tribunal, we urged a similar settle.
ment of international cortrovers
les Our ideal Was permanent
world court. We had air. ~, v
signed arbitration treaties not only
with great powers which might
conccivably attack us. even more
freely with weaker ncighbors in
order to show ou, good faith II. ~
rognizing the equality of all ma
t.. both g'cat and small. We
had made plain 10 the nations orr
purpose to forestall by every mcars
in our power the recurrence Of
wars in the world.