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THE MARYLAND PEACE SOCIETY. Its Progress in State WorkSource: The Advocate of Peace (1894-1920), Vol. 75, No. 3 (MARCH, 1913), pp. 54-56Published by: World Affairs InstituteStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20666649 .

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54 THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. March,

sion to adjust these claims was appointed last year, and is expected to convene here the coming spring.

. . . Prof. Bromley Smith, of Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pa., addressed the York County High School Teachers' Association on the 18th of January, upon "The Attitude of High School Teachers Toward the Peace Movement." At the close of the address a reso lution was passed calling upon the Congressman of the district to use his influence toward a limitation of arma ments and a reduction of expenditures for naval and

military purposes. A similar address was also deliv ered by Professor Smith before the teachers of Hazle ton. At Mahanoy City, Professor Smith was speaker of the evening at a banquet given by members of the

men's and women's organizations of the Baptist Church. He dwelt at some length upon "Social Service Through the Church," making especial mention of the duty of the church toward the establishment of peace between nations.

. . . The Chamber of Commerce of New York City, at its meeting on February 6, unanimously adopted a resolution calling upon the President and the Senate to renew the arbitration treaty made between this country and Great Britain in 1908, which expires on the 5th of June next.

... Mrs. Helen Weil, of Cambridge, Mass., read Charles Bann Kennedy's "The Terrible Meek" before Miss Bristol's School, Washington, D. C, and the Wash ington (D. C.) Peace Societv on the evening: of Feb ruary 3. It was an admirable rendering of the little drama, and gave one a new and deeper conception of the immense conquering power of the suffering, non resisting, and crucified Prince of Peace.

THE MARYLAND PEACE SOCIETY. Its Progress in State Work,

Report of the Secretary,

Made at the fourth annual meeting, held in McCov Hall, Johns Hopkins University, January 28,1913.

It is difficult to present in a few words a comprehen sive statement of the activities of this society during twelve months. Much of the work attempted, and in part accomplished, was necessarily of a nature that can scarcely be presented without tiring those who hear it.

Your secretary will therefore confine his statements to a mere outline.

Early in the business year your directors put into action a plan State-wide in its character?first, to secure the observance of a Peace Sunday; second, to organize subcommittees, the chairmen to be representative men in their communities and who would endeavor to carrv forward the work of the organization in these locali ties; third, to promote a knowledge of the progress of peace by arbitration in schools and colleges.

In connection with the last-mentioned item, the soci etv offered two prizes, one of $75 and one of $50, for an oratorical contest among the students of all colleges within the State and the District of Columbia. Five colleges sent representatives, who delivered their ora tions at McCoy Hall last April before an audience

composed largely of young people. The winners of the contest were:

First prize : John F. Crosby, Georgetown University. Subject : "The Mission of America."

Second prize: T. Brooke Price, Johns Hopkins Uni

versity. Subject: "Popular Fallacies About War." The contest of this year will be held April 4 in this

hall. At the time of the consideration of the proposed

arbitration treaties between the United States and France and the United States and Great Britain, before the Senate of the United States, the society was active in endeavoring to influence our own State representa tives in that body, and one of them voted for ratifica tion. When these treaties failed of adoption as orig inally formulated, a resolution adopted by the society

was sent to President Taft asking that even in their amended form the treaties be put in operation, in order to secure the good still left in them and as a stepping stone to better results in the future.

The society has sustained a heavy loss through the necessary resignation of President Theodore Marburg. When Mr. Marburg was called to serve as American Minister to Belgium, it seemed to him imperative that the work of the society should be put into the hands of a man who should be resident in Baltimore and could give his active attention to its many interests. The directors, in considering Mr. Marburg's resignation, felt loath to accept it because the society in its three years of existence has really owed its chief progress to the personal work and enthusiasm of this constructive citi zen. It therefore seemed wise to so amend the consti tution of the society as to create the position of honorary president, thereby retaining Mr. Marburg's affiliation.

Through the unanimous action of your board at the same meeting, Mr. Eugene Levering was asked to as sume the duties of president until the time of the an nual meeting. Mr. Levering has already given much thought to the society's activities, and we trust will accept the position for the coming year.

The society has published during the past year, as formerly, four quarterlies, as follows : February, 1912, "A Forward Step in Civilization," by Jacob Gould Schurmann, president of Cornell University; May, 1912, "Internationalism as a Science," by Henri La Fontaine, and ''Armament and the Poor," by Dr. J. W. Magruder; August, 1912, "Interparliamentary Union," by Christian L. Lange; November, 1912, "The Phases of Progress Toward Peace," by Dr. S. C. Mitchell. Each of these quarterlies was issued at the time indi cated to 10,000 addresses in the State and beyond its borders. Our publications reach practically all public and college libraries in this country and those of many societies directly or indirectly interested in the cause. In this connection it should be said that the directors at a recent meeting thought it wise to discontinue the quarterly this year and to send to the members monthly, as formerly, the Advocate of Peace, and to 10,000 addresses a special Maryland issue of that magazine once annually.

On December 5, 1912, Baroness Bertha von Suttner came to Baltimore as the guest of the society, and ad dressed a well attended meeting in this hall on the sub ject of "World Peace." We believe the results in an educational way justified the effort made by the society.

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1913 THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. 55

We are glad to note, in closing, that the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Peace, through the American Peace Society, assists us financially, thus

recognizing the character of our work. The society now numbers about two hundred and fifty members, and should have an enrollment of thousands. Eecent events in Europe, as well as the general ethical aspects of the cause, would seem to make it a necessary act of good citizenship that all interested in the promotion of jus tice through law should become members of at least one

organization devoted to its promotion. We would there fore urge that all present assist in increasing the mem

bership of our State organization as much as possible. There is no greater cause. It demands not only the financial support of citizens generally, but, more than that, concerned personal* work. We trust that there

may go out from] this annual meeting a determination on the part of individual members to push the member ship of their organization in order that it may more effectively aid in hastening the day when war as a

means of settlement of international differences shall have become a matter of history.

The society gives promise of very effective activities. Its efforts in the past have covered a broad field and have certainly been consistently thorough throughout the three years of its history.

Edward C. Wilson*, Secretary. President The fourth annual meeting of the Levering. society was held in McCoy Hall, Johns

Hopkins University, Baltimore, Jan uary 28, 1913. The meeting was attended by about three hundred people. Mr. Eugene Levering, a mem ber of the executive committee of the American Peace Society, was elected president. In addressing the soci ety, Mr. Levering said:

"The object of the Maryland Peace Society is pri marily twofold:

"(1) To educate the people?especially those of our State?as to the causes, effects, and prevention of war.

"(2) To work in connection with other societies, par ticularly with the American Peace Society, with which this society is closely affiliated, for the establishment of a world peace, on the basis of economy, justice, and in ternational law.

"Has not this been practically accomplished by all of the civilized nations of the world, as regards their own internal affairs? Cannot the same principles, there fore, be made to operate successfully between the civil ized nations, thus creating an international movement?

"As a most forceful illustration of the practicability of such an international peace relationship, we have but to mention that in December of next year Great Britain and the United States propose, in some suitable way, to celebrate the centennial of peace between these two countries.

"May it not be that this peace is largely due to the fact that there has been no attempt on the part of either country to establish boundary defenses on land or lake for the protection of its own rights? However signifi cant this feature may be, it is still more important to note that this peace has been preserved, notwithstand ing the development of various serious disputes, any one of which could easily have resulted in another war

between us ; but fortunately, through, the treaty-making power of both countries, these serious and vexatious questions were settled amicably."

Mr. Levering then referred to seven treaties between Great Britain and the United States. Senator Hon. Theodore E. Burton, President Burton. of the American Peace Society, gave

a masterly presentation of his subject, "Arbitration as an Influence for Peace; The Panama Canal Controversy." He traced the history of arbitra tion from inter-Hellenic agreements among communi ties of the Roman world, through the mediaeval ages, to the termination of the Napoleonic wars in 1815. Then "a powerful impetus was given to the peaceful settlement of disputes, for the long years of conflict had paved the way for a desire to avoid further hostilities. As a result, hundreds of irritating disputes between na tions have been settled by arbitration, prominent among them being those relating to boundaries. But to these

must be added indignities to citizens, injuries to prop erty, financial claims and questions as to the validity of the seizures of property on land or sea in time of war. Not only were such powerful nations as Great Britain and Germany involved in these settlements, but also such nations as the Argentine Republic and Brazil, and even minor countries like Afghanistan.

"The treaty of Guadaloupe-Hidalgo, negotiated in 1848, stands out as a beacon light in the cause of arbi tration. In this treaty the two contracting parties agreed that if any disagreement should arise between them in the future, they would earnestly strive to settle it peaceably. This was the first great step in modern times for the submission to arbitration of future diffi culties.

"The greatest step of all was taken in 1899, when twenty-six nations of the world gathered together at The Hague and made provision for the peaceable settle ment of international disputes, established the right of nations to offer their good offices and mediation to war ring countries, provided for a commission of inquiry to ascertain the facts regarding an international difficulty and for the formation of a court of international arbi tration.

"In the second convention, in 1907, forty-four na tions were represented.

"In 1908 the United States negotiated treaties with twenty-four nations along the general lines laid down at The Hague. They all except, however, questions of vital interest, independence, the honor of the two con tracting nations, and such as concern the interests of third parties."

Senator Burton then supported the contention that the entire history of international negotiations between the United States and other countries has led to the belief that this country would permit, as it had already claimed from other nations, the equal use of waterways opened to the commerce of the world. He said that the Panama Canal is the opportunity to exhibit the moral justice of this country by levying uniform toll rates.

Dr. Benjamin F. Trueblood, secretary of the Amer ican Peace Society, in a ten-minute talk on "The Pres ent Balkan Situation," clearly pointed out the futility of armed struggles in the settlement of religious and social differences.

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56 THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. March,

Thomas H. Eev. Thomas H. Lewis, president of Lewis, D. D. Western Maryland College and presi

dent of the Maryland Branch of the American School Peace League, delivered a most in

teresting address on "The School Teacher as the Ad vance Agent of Peace." The address was published in full in the February number of the Advocate of Peace.

The retiring secretary, Edward C. Wilson, principal of the Friends' School, read the report given herewith. The society was sorry that Mr. Wilson could not con tinue in the office he has filled so satisfactorily since the formation of the society. Friends Wanted as Members to Share in the Peace

Movement and to Get its Literature.

The directors of the Maryland Peace Society decided to send to all members of the society the Advocate of Peace regularly, so membership in the society includes the Advocate. This is a special number. Any person who is not a member may make application for enroll ment as a life, sustaining, or annual member, financial support being payable respectively as follows: Fifty dollars at one payment, ten dollars per year, and one dollar per year.

The surest way to help mold public opinion is to tceep informed, and to affiliate with other people of the same

mind.

Address Andrew B. Wood, secretary, Box 166, Balti more, Md.

Officers of the Society for the Coming Year.

President, Eugene Levering; secretary, Andrew B. Wood; treasurer, Equitable Mortgage and Trust Co.; vice-presidents, Phillips Lee Goldsborough, James Car dinal Gibbons, Ira Eemsen, Wm. H. Welch, Mrs. Bruce Cotten, E. Brent Keyser, J. Barry Mahool, Bishop John G. Murray, Edward' H. Griffin, Mrs. Wm. M. Ellicott, Miss Eleanor L. Lord, Mrs. B. W. Corkran, Jr., John F. Goucher, Mrs. Wm. J. Brown, Oliver Huckel, Henry F. Baker ; directors, Eichard J. White, Hon. Henry D. Harlan, Hon. Henry Stockbridge, Edward C. Wilson, Francis M. Jencks, Dr. Alfred E. Hussey, Douglas M. Wylie, Hon. Alfred S. Mies, Bernard 1ST. Baker, Jona than K. Taylor, Frank Hoen, Hon. Edwin Warfield, Thos. H. Bowles.

The Navy and Statesmanship. By David Starr Jordan.

The American navy stands near the parting of the ways. Shall it continue the servant of a democratic people, or shall it develop into a special caste, un checked as to expense, and with no responsibility save for war? With the single exception of the British navy, the

American navy is now the most costly on earth. It is one of the world's most expensive institutions. It costs more each year than all the colleges of engineering and agriculture of the world, with all the technical, indus trial, and trade schools of whatever sort?foundations of the industrial prosperity of nations. It costs more each year than all the universities of the world?the foundations of all intellectual leadership and of social progress. Each year it reaches a higher level of ex

pense, and for this there is no visible reason, either in ternal or external, save the local rivalries of Europe. The annual cost of our navy has risen from $56,000,000 a year in 1901 to $130,000,000 in 1912. In 1881 these expenses were but $13,000,000 per year.

The main duties of our navy in the future, as in the

past, are likely to be away from the sphere of foreign war. We are outside the reckless rivalries of European imperialism. The United States has known but three foreign wars. All three of these we have ourselves brought on, and in no case has history justified our action. While there may be crises ahead in our foreign relations, due to the greed of exploiters or to the venal ity or recklessness of future diplomatists, no such dan ger is in sight today. No existing nation could do us any injury comparable to the injury to itself arising from the loss of our friendship and our trade.

That the United States should have a navy goes with out saying. No one wishes to destroy the navy; we would only that it should be our navy?our contribu tion toward the international police, toward good order and safety on the sea. We have been proud of the fact that our officers have

been American citizens first, and afterwards, if need be, brave fighters ; that they have never constituted a war rior caste, nor have they stood for war for war's sake.

We have rejoiced that their training was that of first class engineers and skillful navigators, with the culture of the academy and the refinement gained by wide ex perience in travel. We have contrasted this with the warrior-caste of Europe, scornful of the common man and his interests, hand in glove with his exploiters, the great agent of imperial waste, and eager always for war, since war is their sole business, and in war is op portunity and glory.

If the navy is to be the servant of the people, it must find the reasons for its acts and for its cost in the needs of the people. That two nations of Europe are running a neck-to-neck Marathon race, urged on, by war scares

and by class interests, toward swift ruin by war or slow ruin by bankruptcy, is no reason why we should "speed up" to join them. Of course, lords, bankers, and tra ders will not be insolvent ; only the tax-paying people.

We should rather use every influence toward "slowing the pace" and softening the friction. The present con dition in England and Germany is a world-wide calam ity in itself. There is but one greater in sight?that is, that these nations should turn their armaments on each other, for each new Dreadnaught increases the danger of collision. The crash would take place at any mo

ment, were it not for the restraints of bankers, of trade, of labor, and of civilization, which is another word for common decency. The cohesive force of internationalism is very great, but it is strained as it has rarely been strained before, and the responsibility for the strain rests with the war caste and war syndicates of England and Germany.

The size of a avy is no index of a nation's power. A battleship is not an agent of peace. Like a revolver, it is built for killing. To say that "battleships are cheaper than battles" invites the epigram, equally true, that "revolvers are cheaper than tombstones."

What our navy should be is no question of naval strategy. It is a matter for the decision of the highest statesmanship. And since this is a civilian country,

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