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NOTES AND COMMENTSSource: The Advocate of Peace (1894-1920), Vol. 56, No. 7 (JULY, 1894), pp. 156-160Published by: World Affairs InstituteStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20665162 .

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156 THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. July,

features of the organization is its creation in our cities of

beautiful religious and social centres, or rather homes, for the young men, where they are not onty sheltered from, but also trained to resist the temptations which lie in

wait for them at every street corner. The Y. M. C. A.

buildings, many of which are noble specimens of architec

ture, are of vastly greater value to any city than its court

house and jail, or than its reformatory institutions. The

money invested in them by the citizens could not be more

profitably spent. The success of the Association since its organization

by Mr. Williams fifty years ago has been great though it

can hardly be called phenomenal. It has had a steady

growth from year to year until it now has more than five

thousand local organizations with a membership of nearly half a million. Many of the Associations are still small

and struggling with difficulties, but they usually hold on

and finally succeed in making themselves permanent. Public favor and public support are gradually becoming more pronounced, and the Association, we doubt not, has

a yet much greater future before it. One can not look

into our cities and see the stream of young men who are

squandering all that they have, physical, intellectual and

moral, in riotous living, at a rate which would put the

prodigal son to blush, without feeling grateful in his heart

of hearts for this grand institution of young men, and

without wishing it every blessing for the future.

The jubilee has been a great success. Many prominent workers from different parts of the world were present, and eminent religious leaders of Great Britain gave the

meetings the benefit and inspiration of their presence and

speech.

tant meeting yet held by the Interparliamentary Union. Eminent men in all the European parliaments have al

ready signified their intention to be present and partici pate in the proceedings. The various groups of members in the different countries are studying the questions to be

brought before the Conference, and the Dutch Committee on organization is exerting itself zealously to make the

Hague meeting a success.

Our readers will be glad to see the letter of Ambassa dor Bayard, on another page. No other envoy of the United States to the Court of St. James has more con

scientiously and constantly used his influence on all

proper occasions to deepen feelings of friendship between this country and Great Britain. This letter was written in reply to the resolution of commendation and approval passed at the recent annual meeting of the American Peace Society, and sent to Mr. Bayard.

The Peace Bureau at Berne, after having consulted all the peace societies of the world on the question of the

proposed Truce in Europe, has issued an interesting re

port of the answers received. There is considerable

divergence in the replies as to the details of methods to be adopted for bringing it about, but most of the societies

heartily favor the Truce in a general way. The question is to be put on the program of the Antwerp Congress.

At the last of May a dinner was given at St. James

Hall, London, to the officers of the United States cruiser, Chicago. At the plate of each guest was a souvenir book containing the portraits of the chief guests, and hav

ing on the illuminated cover this couplet :

"When love unites, wide space divides in vain, And hands may clasp across the spreading main."

In proposing a toast to the United States, Lord George Hamilton, who presided, said :

"I connect this toast with the sentiment of a great Englishman, now departed, who said : 'England and the United States are not two nations, but one, for they are bound together by Heaven's act of parliament and the everlasting law of nature and fact.'

"

Ambassador Bayard, who was highly complimented by the President, responded to the toast, and expressed great gratification at the manner in which the toast had been received. Though there was doubtless some super ficial sentiment manifested on the occasion, we have no doubt that the real feeling of growing friendship between the two countries was voiced in the speeches.

The United States Senate, by a vote of 55 to 0, has

passed a resolution declaring that it, of right, belongs wholly to the people of the Hawaiian islands to establish and maintain their own form of government and domes tic polity ; that the United States ought not, in any way, to interfere therewith ; and that any intervention in the

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

At a recent meeting of the Board of Directors of the

American Peace Society, Hon. Robert Treat Paine, Dr.

Philip S. Moxom, Hezekiah Butterworth, Mrs. Mary Frost Ormsby and Benjanim F. Trueblood were appointed

delegates to attend the coming Peace Congress at Ant

werp on the 29th of August. The President and Secre

tary were empowered to appoint as delegates other mem

bers of the S-ociety who may be expecting to go to Europe this summer.

At the same meeting of the Directors the Secretary gave an account of a recent visit made by him to Wash

ington and of an arrangement which had been made for

the introduction into both Houses of Congress of a Reso

lution requesting the President to negogtiate a twenty five years' treaty of arbitration with Great Britain.

The Interparliamentary Peace Conference which is to

open at The Hague on the 4th of September and last three

days gives increasing promise of being the most impor

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1894. THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. 157

political affairs of those islands by any other government would be regarded as an act unfriendly to the United States.

The events and speeches of Memorial Day this year, taken in general, prove that the occasion is becoming more and more one of peace. The bitter feelings be tween North and South are really passing away, and the

people of both sections are beginning to feel something of the real unity of spirit which ought to bind them to

gether. The soldiers who fought on both sides are con

tributing their full share to the reconciliation, more in fact than many others. They propose to hold, next

spring, a peace jubilee, in which the Blue and the Gray shall join. Why not? And why could not a general jubilee be held all over the country, in which every city and town and village throughout the land should take

part? If the men who did the bitter fighting can forget the past and join in a peace jubilee, the two sections of the country can certainly do as well. It would be a

sight worthy of our time and of our country.

The treaty recently entered into between Great Britain and Belgium, as to their territorial relations in the Congo region, has caused a good deal of excitement in Europe. Great Britain has been soundly denounced in France, where much bitterness of feeling has expressed itself.

Germany, also, is dissatisfied with the Congo arrange ment, and for once is found co-operating with France. The whole matter is likely to have to be settled by a Con

ference, or by some sort of an arbitration. King Leo

pold has expressed his willingness that such a course should be taken.

Qoncord, commenting on the statement that " The total

expenditure of the United States Government during the

past fiscal year on what may be called the war power, in

cluding pensions and the army and navy, was upwards of 239,000,000 dollars ?far more than half of the entire cost of the Government, and nearly double the military expenditure of either France or Germany," says :

" In presence of this astounding figure of well on to

fifty millions sterling there can be no more boasts as to the Great Republic being exempt from the curse of militar ism that is ruining the old world. Let us know the facts, it is for Americans themselves to apply the remedy."

The figure here given is substantially correct, and yet we can boast that we are measurably free from the curse of old-world militarism. One hundred and fifty millions of this amount was paid in pensions to disabled soldiers, and to the widows and orphans made by the late war. This pension sum which is probably much larger than it

ought ever to have been, has now reached its maximum and will from this time rapidly decrease. It must be re membered that the population of the United States is as

large as that of France and Germany combined, and its wealth probably more than that of both the European countries. Since we have a standing army of only 25,000 soldiers, our young and able-bodied men are not withdrawn to any appreciable extent from the productive industries of the country. We actually pay for our army and navy expenses about sixty-five million dollars a year, which is bad enough, to be sure ; but we have no conscriptive sys tem to derange the business and educational life of the millions of young men of the country and to pass them

through the degrading influences of camp and barrack. We are sorry our condition is as bad as it is, but it is a

long way short of what Concord has hastily concluded it to be.

The Herald of Peace for June is taken up largely with the Report of the Annual Meeting of the London Peace

Society which occurred on the 22d of May. We give a little abstract on another page. The Annual Public Meet

ing was one of the largest on record, and was presided over by the President, Sir Joseph Pease, who made one of his very best speeches. The Annual Report, of which Dr.

Darby read only a small portion at the meeting, is an ex tended and interesting one giving a careful survey of the condition of the world at the present time as well as a

summary of the work of the Society and its agents for the

year. It is very encouraging to notice the growing number of influential persons in England who are putting them selves into active cooperation with the Peace Society and other similar Associations.

The Second Massachusetts School -Regiment has been disbanded. Jealousy among the boys and remissness in their studies are given as the reasons for discontinuing the

Regiment. The teachers have become convinced that the evils connected with the attempt to give the school-boys a soldier's training outweigh the good, and they have wisely given their voice against continuing it. It is much to be

regretted that an attempt should ever have been made to

engraft upon the school system an institution whose pur poses and methods are both so radically inconsistent with the moral and intellectual aims of the schools. It is sin

cerely to be hoped that other Principals will follow the wholesome example set by those whose boys were in this

Regiment now disbanded.

The San Francisco Chronicle in commenting on Dr.

Talmage's Decoration Day address in that city says that the distinguished preacher asserted that ' ' there will never be another great war on earth. Arbitration will take the place of the sword." This conviction is rapidly forming itself in the minds of intelligent and good men

everywhere. Dr. Talmage has often made utterances of a nature to keep alive and propagate the spirit of war, but in this address he rightly interprets the changing

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158 THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. July,

spirit of the age and his declaration of his belief that the end of war is near, if not actually here, will do much to

bring about the consummation so devoutly to be wished. We hope his journey around the world may be marked by many such utterances. War can be talked off the face of the earth, and one of the chief sins of men of position and power has been that this instrument of speech has been used by so many of them to excuse and even to

glorify the inhuman institution. The Chroniele, in the same note in which it quotes Dr. Talmage's utterance, takes pains to say that " it is impossible to believe that arbitration can succeed it (war), so long as human nature remains what it is," and that " international arbi tration is a beautiful dream, but it is only a dream."

Think how many readers will have their faith in a future

of peace weakened by such an utterance as that ! Does not the Chronicle know that human nature is not a fixed, unalterable thing continuing the same through all the

ages?

Mr. Franz Wirth, president of the Frankfurt Peace

Society, has recently founded a new Society at Offenburg, with a membership of thirty-six. This makes the twelfth

peace society in Germany, nearly all of which have been

formed within the past two years.

Concord, the organ of the International Arbitration and

Peace Association of London, will until further notice be

published only every two months instead of monthly as

heretofore. We regret very much that the Association

has been compelled, for lack of means, to issue this most

valuable paper less frequently than heretofore, and we

trust that increased financial support will soon enable

them to resume its monthly publication. In this age a

paper is useful very much in proportion to the frequency with which it brings before its readers the ideas which it

seeks to propagate.

We have received a copy of a pamphlet of twenty

pages issued by the Lombard Peace Union of Milan,

giving an account of the origin and work of the Society. In the seven years since its organization in 1887, this

Society has waged an incessant contest against the war

system of the old world, and has had the pleasure of

seeing many peace associations spring up all over Italy,

among whose membership are found many learned and

influential men. It is needless to say that the Lombard

Union has been one of the chief agencies in promoting the rapid change which is taking place in Italian public sentiment. A Peace Exhibit is now going on, under the

auspices of the Union, at the Milan Exposition. Mr.

Moneta, the honored and indefatigable president of the

Union, in a card just received, says that the Exhibit u is

attracting the attention of everybody."

We now have another cruiser faster than any other

nation possesses, the "Minneapolis." She made her trial trip on the 7th of June, and developed a speed of

nearly 22 knots an hour. We are catching up with

Europe fast, and will soon have to begin to talk of American disarmament, or some such thing.

We give below a joint resolution which was introduced into the House of Representatives on the 2d of June by

Hon. John F. Lacey of Iowa, and into the Senate by Senator Allison on the 20th of June, asking the President to negotiate a treaty of Arbitration with Great Britain. No action can be had on the resolution during the present session of Congress, on account of business already on the calendar, but it is expected that it will be taken up early in the next session, and there is little doubt but that it will pass both Houses by a practically unanimous vote. The purpose of the resolution is to have crystallized into a treaty what is already the actual practice of the two Governments when differences arise between them. The period of twenty-five years was decided on as long enough to answer the requirements of permanency and as most likely not to be objected to on either side of the water. Such a treaty once made between the two Eng lish speaking peoples will almost surely settle their pro cedure for all time and will open the way for similiar treaties with other countries.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. June 2, 1894.

Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed. Mr. Lacey introduced the following joint resolution :

JOINT RESOLUTION

Requesting the President to negotiate a treaty with Great Britain providing for the arbitration of disputes. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled. That the President be, and he is hereby requested to

negotiate a treaty with the Government of Great Britain providing that for a period of twenty-five years all differ ences or disputes between the governments of the two countries that cannot be adjusted by diplomatic means shall be referred to arbitration.

A mass peace convention, under the auspices of the Christian Arbitration and Peace Society of Philadelphia, is to be held in the Auditorium at Ocean Grove, New

Jersey, on the 21st of July. "All who desire to prevent War and establish Peace are invited to attend." Three sessions will be held, at 10 a. m., 3 p. m., and at 7 in the

evening. At the first session Bishop J. H. Vincent, Dr. E. H. Stokes, Dr. Scott F. Hershey and Benjamin F. Trueblood will take part, and a public letter will be read from Joseph Cook. At the second session, at which Joshua L. Bailey of Philadelphia will preside, the speakers will be Rev. W. S. Pugh, Hon. James M. Beck, George May Powell and Rev. Sidi H. Browne. The evening

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1894. THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. 159

session will be presided over by Philip C. Garrett of

Philadelphia, and will be addressed by Eev. David H.

Greer, Rev. B. Fay Mills, Dr. W. A. Campbell and

Chaplain C. C. MeCabe. With this array of speakers and with the great audience that is sure to be present, the occasion ought to be one of great value to the peace

movement.

In his oration at the 25th annual meeting of the Society of the Army of the Potomac, held at Concord, . H., on

the 21st ult., Gen. J. A. Beaver, ex-Governor of Penn

sylvania, spoke strongly of the growing feeling of unity between the North and the South and of the desirability that all hindrances to such unity should be taken out of the way. The oration was practically devoted to this

subject, giving the many physical, commercial, linguistic, social and ethical ties which bind us together. "It

would seem," he said, "?would that it were only seem

ing?that the last enemy to be overcome in the complete unification of our country is the Church of Christ." It is deplorable that such an estrangement should exist between the churches North and South as to justify a

public speaker in making such a statement. This

estrangement has so far prevented all approaches toward union from bearing practical fruit. The difference between the churches is all the more deplorable because its cause is a matter which touches the very essence of the brotherhood of humanity. But this gulf will by and

by be bridged over also and peace, founded on perfect justice and liberty, will reign triumphant.

The Committee appointed to examine the essays pre sented in competition for the Siccardi prize of 4000

francs offered by the Lombard Peace Union of Milan

having decided that none of them were sufficiently meri torious to receive the prize, the competition has been re

opened till the 31st of December, 1896. The work must be written in Italian and printed, and may take any form,?drama, romance, etc.,? which the author likes. It

must treat the subject of war from the standpoint of the fundamental principles of right and morality which it

violates, and must be a work of real literary merit, to be

judged by literary men of Italy who will be chosen as

judges. The Committee of the Union have also made the additional offer of a prize of 500 francs for a smaller

work, specially adapted to young people, treating of the historic necessity and of the general benefits of peace.

The Secretary of th? American Peace Society has

recently given two lectures on arbitration and peace before the students of Haverford College, Pa., and one

before those of Guilford College, N. C. At the former

institution one of the lectures, on the progress of the

arbitration and peace movement during the century, was

given to the members of the Senior class only. The lect

lires at both institutions were given on invitation of the Presidents.

It is now stated that two British troopers, Daniels and

Wilson, were responsible for the massacre of the Wilson

party in the late war with Lo Bengula in South Africa.

They appropriated to themselves a gift of a thousand

pounds which the King had forwarded to the British authorities and suppressed the message of submission which he had likewise sent. The guilty men have been sentenced to fourteen years' imprisonment, a punishment which can in no wise atone for the cruel slaughter which their greed brought on.

Mrs. Abigail J. Hadley of Clarksville, Ohio, is ar

ranging for the discussion of the subject of peace at the Lakeside School of Methods, Ohio, on the 31st of July. That will be W. C. T. U. day at the school, and peace is to have its hour of the time. Arbitration, the growth of peace sentiment in Europe, Boys' Brigades, and

especially woman's work for peace, will find place in the discussion.

We are indebted to C. C. Plummer, recording secretary, for a report of the annual meeting, recently held, of the Rhode Island Radical Peace Society. Rev. Charles H. Plummer has been made President of the Society, since the death in June last year of Mr. Levi . Joslin, who had served in that capacity since the foundation of the organization, twenty-seven years ago. A series of resolutions offered by the President was passed ex

pressing gratitude on account of the propitious events of the past year, and deploring the unwisdom of the present militarism of Europe. Not the least interesting event of the meeting was the reading of a letter from President Cleveland, in which he said :

"The abolition of war, as a means of settling disputes among the nations, at first the dream of the philanthro pist, now seems to be getting every year nearer and nearer a reality ; and it is to be hoped that our nation will do much in the future, as in the past, to hasten the day when the desire for peace shall be more prevalent among all nations of the earth."

Speaking of Flag Day (14th of June), Farm, Field and Fireside says :

"But the flag should now indicate a pacific power among the nations of the earth?a power to lead in statesmanship ; in economic plans and policies ; in treaties to promote perpetual peace ; in an example of truly Christian civilization. Not only should it suggest the motto on our coin, 'In God we trust,' but a clearly defined and established purpose to direct and lead the nations of the old world and of the whole earth in all beneficent policies and achievements to ameliorate the condition of man. The significance of our flag should no longer be merely national ; it should have a hope-inspiring

meaning for every race. Above all, it should be every where recognized as the emblem of universal peace."

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160 THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. July,

On the 2d of June the Universal Peace Union of

Philadelphia celebrated "Mothers' Peace Day" at Bran

dy wine Springs. The famous picnic grounds were thronged by nearly a thousand people who had gone from Phila

delphia and its suburbs. The chief addresses were made

by John J. Cornell, of Baltimore, and by Alfred H. Love,

president of the Union.

La Conf?rence Interparlementaire has the following paragraph in regard to the disagreement between Switz erland and Italy as to arbitrating the tariff difficulty that has risen between them :

'4 We are receiving from all sides communications and protests on the subject of the refusal made by Italy to the request of Switzerland for the formation of the tribunal of arbitrators provided for in the treaty of com

merce. It must be confessed that this regrettable inci dent forms a strong argument against the apostles of arbitration. Men are not yet sufficiently civilized to feel

obliged to respect always a treaty. This affair is very annoying to those who are laboring to inculcate ideas of international justice and to bring together nations divid ed by irritating questions.

" Unfortunately the most reasonable protests will remain

to be simply Platonic demonstrations. They will change nothing. In fact, it is understood in ministerial circles that the Italian Government is determined to maintain the position taken in its response to the note of the Swiss Federal Government, touching the payment of the cus toms duties in gold. It will not consent to the arbitration

proposed. Instructions to this effect will be sent to the

representative at Berne, and this will cut short all fur ther negotiations." We do not see that the action of the Italian Govern

ment is any argument against arbitration, but only proves all the more strongly the necessity of educating

people up to better ideas.

The Ecclesiastical Peace Union is pushing its work with all possible speed. A meeting of great interest was

held in its behalf in the Second Presbyterian Church,

Richmond, Va., on the 12th of June. Rev. Dr. H?ge,

pastor of the church, presided. Dr. W. A. Campbell, Chairman of the Executive Committee, spoke in expla nation of the movement and was followed in earnest

speeches by Dr. W. J. Young, Dr. J. L. M. Curry, and

the Mayor of Richmond, Mr. J. T. Ellison. The com

mittee desire to raise three thousand dollars to continue

the work for three years until their memorial of the

Churches can be completed and presented to the govern ments of the world. They hope soon to send a represen tative to Europe to organize the work on the continent as

it has already been so excellently organized in England. We wish the movement all possible success, and shall

keep our readers informed of its progress.

The New Hammond Typewriter is used in this office and

gives excellent satisfaction (see advertisement page 166).

EVENTS OF THE MONTH.

Miss Frances E. Willard, whose graceful letter of ac

ceptance of the position of one of the Vice-Presidents of

the American Peace Society will be found on another

page, has returned from England, much improved in

health. Every lover of America's good must join in wel

coming back to our shores this gifted lady whose talent, whose wisdom, whose eloquence, whose unwearied devo

tion to the great cause which she has espoused, whose

modest and beautiful Christian womanhood, have made

her the peer of any of our most distinguished and worthy men and women. She is, by right, at the head of the

great host of workers who in all quarters of the globe are striving to promote the welfare and the happiness of

every home in every land.

Within three days from the time of the assassination of

President Carnot, a new President of the French republic was elected. The Senate and Chamber of Deputies met

in joint session at Versailles on the 27th of June, on the

summons of the President of the Senate, and on the first

ballot Mr. Casimir-Perier was declared elected, having received 24 votes more than the necessary 427. The

next highest number of votes was for Mr. Brisson. Con

siderable commotion was created by the Socialist members

who are opposed to any presidency. As the new Presi

dent did not receive a majority of the votes of the

Deputies, it is prophesied that the beginning of his ad

ministration will be beset with opposition and difficulty. He is a conservative Republican, and will have the hearty

sympathy and support of neither the Radicals nor the

Socialists. His election is looked upon with much favor

at foreign courts. Mr. Casimir-Perier is an experienced statesman, and in the emergency created by Carnot's

death, the chief magistracy could not have fallen into

better hands.

The debate on the Tariff Bill has continued in the Sen

ate. The Sugar schedule was disposed of on the 5th of

June, the Democratic measure prevailing. On the 6th

the Tobacco schedule was finished. Next the Agriculture schedule was gone through. Later the Spirits and Wine, the Cotton Manufactures, the Flax, Hemp and Jute

schedules. Then for some days the Senators "pulled wool" and finally put it on the free list. "Pulp, Papers and Books" then passed, and "CoaP was not made free.

By the 20th of June the tariff portions of the Bill were all

disposed of. Since then the Senators have been "sweat

ing" over the Income Tax item.

In the House the proposition to repeal the tax on State

banks has been defeated by a good majority. The other

subjects to claim the attention of the Representatives have been the Indian Appropriation Bill, the General

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