The Washington times., 1917-01-24
NATION TO BE- ASKED
TO VOTE ON PEACE
Countrywide Canvass to Be
= Taken BY National Civic
Federation.
Difference OF OPINION
Paul Fuller and Chauncey De-
pew Attack Wilson's Pro-
gram; Schiff For 1t.
Difference OF OPINION

NEW YORK, Jan. 24-Through the
national Civic Federation the nation
Will be asked to place its approval
peace program.
That body is planning a national
conference to consider. this subject.
Moreover, its executive council has
before 1t resolutions for a broader
military power.
President Wilson's ''peace without
victory" remarks were interpreted to-
day by Paul Fuller, international ex-
pert, as being opposed to what the al
lies are fighting for-"the absolute
elimination Of monstrous system
whereby individuals or groups of in
dividuals can plunge the civilized
world into a death struggle"
Depew's Ideas.
Chauncey Depew holds peace with
out victory" would mean the nations
call the war quits" going back to
the status before the war, but with
vast amounts of money and millions
of men sacrificed.
Jacob H. Schiff believed the Presi-
dents ideas must be included in any
permanent peace plan.
Ralph II. Easley, executive chair
man of the Federation, In an
address at the seventeenth annual
meeting OF the Federation in this
city, drew parallel between
industrial and international arbitra-
ton In attacking the program of the
League to Enforce Peace and that of
the so-called Bryan treaties. He en-
larged- upon the idea that inasmuch
rs compulsory Investigations have
failed to settle industrial disputes
they will fail likewise in information
al disputes, for the reason that the
obstacleN which present the peaceful
settlement OF Industrial disputes are
the same in miniature as those which
prevent the peaceful settlement OF in
ternational disputes.
Doomed to Disappointment.
'Ths same people who believe that
some way must be found to prevent
q recurrence of international wars
also believe there must be some way
to prevent a recurrence OF large in
dustrial strikes" said Mr.. Easley. 'In
both cases they are doomed to disap-
pointment; for the world has found no
way to prevent either. The desire for
international and Industrial peace
springs from the emotions and is not
to be derided, but not all strikes nor
all wars are bad. Very much OF the
Improved condition OF the wage earn
ers today is due entirely to strikes,
Ind history teaches that wars have
often made for higher civilization.
We have had two of three rather
epoch-making tussels ourselves, and
we may have others.
See Question Not Admirable.
THE idea that all questions of dis
pute can be arbitrated by outsiders
is erroneous. No red-blooded union
man will arbitrate the question as to
his right to belong to a union; neith-
er will any red-blooded employer
agree to arbitrate a demand that he
discharge non-union men and fill their
places with union men. International
arbitration, therefore, exactly parallels
industrial arbitration; for no nation
will arbitrate a question of honor or
one involving a vital policy or inter
est. Nor will one nations leave to a
group of nations the determination
OF what Is a vital interest.
Same Principle.
THE proposal of the League to
Enforce Peace to compel nations to
submit their differences to a board
of Investigation is identical with the
underlying principle of the Canadian
compulsory investigation act, to
which many people are now pointing
as the remedy for strikes and lock-
outs in this country. An examina-
tion of the 1911 disputes which have
been referred to the Canadian con-
ciliation commission under this act
discloses that % per cent of the
workers involved went on strike new
ertheless, and that in many disagree
nents both workers and employers
utterly disregarded the law"
Would Not Have stopped War.
Mr.. Easley said that, in his opin-
ion, had the League to Enforce Peace
been In existence at the outbreak OF
the present European war, the war
would have occurred anyhow, but the
United States, being a member of the |
league, would have been forced to
Join. AZ for the so-called Bryan
treaties, Mr.. Easley said they should
be repealed because this nation would
treat them as scraps OF paper IL an
occasion arose in which a vital in
terest or question of honor was in
volved." He cited the Lusitania and
Sussex cases in which, he said, had |
Germany been a signatory to the |
Bryan treaties she could have gone |
on torpedoing passenger ships with
out let or hindrance during the |
months 1t would have taken to form |
q board of arbitration.
Don't Need Any Plan.
'If IT be true that all the bitter
ness and hatred engendered by the |
present conflict will suddenly vanish
upon the signing of peace terms,
then the millennium will be upon us,
and we won't need any plan for
permanent peace" said Mr.. Easley.
But the announcements by the
Lloyd Georges and the Won Bethmnnn
HoIIwegs show that the only League