Conservative *
liopes , as one who looked forward to
remote time for their fulfilment , voiced
his fears in these words :
" 'Who can say that these times
breathe the spirit of peace ? There is
war in the air. Nations armed to the
teeth prate of peace , but there is no
sense of peace. One sovereign burthens
the industry of his people to maintain
military and naval armament at war
strength and his neighbor does the like
and justifies it by the example of the
other ; and Great Britain , insular
though she be , with her imperial inter
ests scattered the world over , follows ,
or is forced to follow , in the wake. If
there be no war , there is at least an
armed peace. * * * When will
governments learn the lesson that wis
dom and justice in policy are a stronger
security that weight of armament ? '
"Hail to thee , orator of 1896 ! All
hail to thee , Lord Russell of Killoweu !
"The lesson that you helped to teach
is being rapidly learned. The story of
'overburthened industries , waste of hu
man energy unprofitably employed ,
squandering of treasure which might
have let light into many lives and of
homes made desolate , ' has been told so
often that the truth has penetrated even
into the breasts of military chieftains
and from The Hague has come the first
tangible promise of peace and gradual
disarmament.
"It took the nations by surprise that
the initiative of the conference should
have come from , the empire of Russia ,
but it should be recollected that the
conference of 1864 at Geneva , that mit
igated the horrors of war by recoguiz-
ing the beneficent Red Cross society ,
and the movement that forbade the use
of explosive bullets , both had their ori
gin with the Czar. The youthful auto
crat that issued the invitation of August -
ust 24,1898 , was following closely in the
steps of his ancestors.
"The rescript was transmitted by
Ambassador Hitchcock to this govern
ment with these words :
" 'The and humanitarian
high impor
tance of this document cannot fail to
recommend it to the absorbing interest
of the president and people of the
United States , and the fact that Russia
is the first to take a step in the direction
of a general disarmament and towards
that universal peace which all Christian
peoples must regard as the haven to
which Christian progress ought to tend ,
places her in the very front rank of the
civilized nations of the world. '
"The rescript set forth that 'the main
tenance of general peace and a possible
reaction of the excessive armaments ,
which weigh down upon all nations ,
present themselves * * * as
the ideal towards which should tend the
efforts of all governments. ' Further
the imperial government urged 'that the
present time is very favorable for seek
ing through the medium of iuterna-
tional conference the most effective
means of assuring to all nations the
benefits of a real and lasting peace. '
' 'It sot forth that 'the ever increasing
financial expense touches public pros
perity at its very source ; the intellectual
and physical powers of the people , labor
and capital are , in a great measure ,
turned aside from their natural func
tions and consumed unproductively. '
* * * 'To put an end to these
increasing armaments and to find means
for avoiding the calamities which
menace the entire world that is the
supreme duty which today lies upon all
nations. '
"This admirable state paper closes :
'This conference will be , with the help
of God , a happy augury for the century
which is now about to open. '
"Our government accepted the invita
tion in the lofty spirit in which it was
given. There was much of criticism
and many evidences of suspicion of the
motives of the Russian. The idea ob
tained with many that the scratching
process would bring forth the tartar.
"Our embassy to Russia , in a letter to
the state department dated November
9th , 1898 , commented upon this fact in
very interesting fashion. I quote : 'The
general concensus of opinion among the
members of the diplomatic corps , now
present , appears to be that the propo
sition is visionary and Utopian if not
partaking of Quixotism. Little of value
is expected to result from the confer
euce , and indeed evOry diplomatic officer
seems to regard the proposition with
that technical scepticism which great
measures of reform usually encounter. '
"January llth , 1899 , there came to all
the powers the second communication
from the Russian imperial minister of
foreign affairs speaking on behalf of his
royal master. In it the tentative details
of the proposed conference were given.
The main purposes as stated in this most
interesting paper were : 'placing a
limit upon the progressive increase of
laud and naval forces' and 'preventing
armed conflicts , by the pacific means at
the disposition of diplomacy. ' The
themes for discussion were suggested
to be :
1. "The non-increase of war budgets
and a reduction of effectives in armies
and natives.
2. "Interdiction of new fire arms and
now explosives.
8. "Prohibition of throwing explos
ives from balloons.
4. ' 'Interdiction of submarine torpedo
boats and plungers , and building of war
vessels with rams.
5. "The adaption of the provisions of
the Geneva conventions of 1864 and
1868 to naval warfare.
6. "Revision of the laws and customs
of war as elaborated by the Brussels
conference of 1874.
7. "The acceptance of thrt principles
of mediation and optional arbitration
and establishment of a uniform code of
practice in their use.
"I mny bo pardoned for this extended
reference of these documents , believing
as I do that they stand second in im
portance and in their influence on the
future of mankind to none others of the
century , unless wo except the declara
tion of emancipation of our own head
man of the nation , Abraham Lincoln.
"On May 18th , 1899 , the representatives
from all the powers met at The Hague
in response to the invitation of the Czar.
Leading diplomatists and prominent
jurists had in charge the interests of
their governments. The United States
was particularly fortunate in the selec
tion made by President McKiuley. The
Honorable Andrew D. White , our am
bassador at Berlin , one time college
president , scholarly author , legislator
and minister to Germany and Russia ;
the Honorable Stanford Newell , our
minister at The Hague , able lawyer ,
wise counsellor , broad citizen ; the
Honorable Seth Low , president of Colum
bia university , leading educator and
once the chief executive officer of a
great city ; Captain Alfred T. Mahan of
the United States navy , retired , naval
strategist and historical scholar , who ,
after thirty years of active service in
the navy , achieved fame by his works
on 'The Influence of the Sea Power upon
History , ' and the 'Life of Lord Nelson ; '
Captain William Crazier of the United
States army , ordnance expert , instructor
in mathematics , efficient officer ; Mr.
Frederick W. Hells , secretary of the
delegation , accomplished linquist , inter
national lawyer these formed the six
representatives of the great republic ,
who were to wield an influence more
potent for results than any other dele
gation from a single nation. In the
conference were the six great European
powers , Russia , Germany , France , Eng
land , Austria-Hungary and Italy ; the
ten smaller states of Europe , Holland ,
Belgium , Denmark , Sweden and Nor
way , Switzerland , Spain , Portugal ,
Servia , Romania and Turkey ; four
Asiatic nations , China , Japan , Persia
and Siam ; these , with the United States ,
making twenty-one in all. *
"The instructions given by our govern
ment to its commissioners presented a
plan for a permanent tribunal of arbitra
tion , and provided for the submission to
it of all questions of disagreement , except
such as relate to or involve political
independence and territorial integrity.
They were also to present a proposal re
garding the immunity from seizure on
the high seas , in time of war , of all
private property , except contraband ;
unless the vessels containing such
"NOTE Later advices from The Hague show
that the following countries were also repre
sented , making twenty-six in all : Greece ,
Luxembourg , Montenegro , Bulgaria and
Mexico.
