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of $6,000,000 a year will be added to the pay-rolls of all the railroad systems involved, thus benefiting not less than 50,000 employees. Not only do the men receive this marked increase in wages, but the conditions of employment on many of the roads are materially improved. The railroads have agreed not to reduce the number of crews or increase the tonnage of trains so as to offset the increase in wages granted to the men. This result is hailed on all sides as a striking testimony to the efficacy of federal intervention in labor disputes. While it is the most important instance of Government mediation under the Erdmann law, it is not likely to be the last. The national Government has in this case been the direct agency by which the country has been saved a strike bill mounting into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to speak of the untold misery and suffering to individuals and families that have been thus averted. It is not an unusual thing in these days for railroad financiers to decry the interference of the federal Government in their affairs, but it is well to remember that the same Government of whose paternalism they profess such abhorrence is sometimes able, when called upon, to rescue both the railroads and the people from enormous economic waste.

The Peace Congress in

Mr. W. T. Stead has written for us some comments upon last New York. month's great gathering on behalf of the cause of international arbitration and peace (see page 591). It was to have been expected that so large a collection of well-meaning humanitarians and nobilities would have expressed a diversity of views. It was further to have been expected that various speakers of marked individuality and of a certain inveterate habit of insisting upon their own precise forms of statement would have appeared to the audiences at times, and to the newspaper public as well, as disagreeing quite radically. Most of the disagreements were of the merely dialectic sort. Everybody in the conference desired to have the Hague Tribunal made more authoritative and influential. The President wrote an excellent letter to be read, and he was taken to task for having put stress upon the point that righteousness is a great object to be aimed at, with peace as second to it. Dr. Edward Everett Hale laid stress upon the point that justice is the ideal. Mr. Carnegie, as presiding officer, took the ground that since nobody could be a fair and just judge

in his own cause, righteousness and justice can best be made to prevail as a practical fact among nations by abandoning war and setting up impartial tribunals to settle disputes. These excellent gentlemen are all of them entirely right, and their differences would all disappear if they were willing to arbitrate them, that is to say, if they should leave it to an impartial tribunal to find a common denominator for their ideas. The Baron d'Estournelles de Constant, of France, distinguished as a Senator of the republic and eminent for his services in the first Hague Conference, lent much prestige to this voluntary meeting in New York. Lieut.-Gen. Alfred von Loewenfeld and Mr. Theodore von Moeller headed the delegation from Germany, Baron Descamps represented Belgium, and there were eminent gentlemen present from other foreign countries, not to mention the group of brilliant and prominent men from Great Britain.

Mr. Stead's Practical Views.

Mr. Stead was conspicuous among the Englishmen, and by some people was looked upon as a stormy petrel. The fact is that Mr. Stead rather loves to shock an audience into a direct and sincere way of taking hold of a subject, and he has a gift for saying things that go the rounds of the newspapers often detached from the main purport of his theme. No man connected with the so-called peace movement takes a more solid and practical view of it than Mr. Stead. Although his manner of presentation is so different, his views are as nearly as possible like those of President Roosevelt and Secretary Root. Mr. Stead thinks it feasible to develop a permanent tribunal feature at The Hague, and so does Mr. Root. Mr. Stead thinks it advisable to have at least a discussion at The Hague of the question of limiting the growing cost of armies and navies. He dwells very particularly upon the idea that it would be feasible to give some virtually compulsory form to Article VIII. of the existing Hague Treaty, under the terms of which provision is made for an attempt at conciliation before actual outbreak of hostilities. Archbishop Ireland is of opinion that if we could have gained twenty days, or even ten days, before our movement upon Spain, there' would have been such concessions at Madrid as would have saved us from the Spanish-American War. Mr. Stead and others declare that if England on behalf of Japan, and France on behalf of Russia, could have had a chance to

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tactful address, showing sympathy with the idealism of the peace advocates and at the same time revealing the earnest and practical statesmanship which guides our present Administration in its international policies. Secretary Straus also made an able address, and the Rt. Hon. James Bryce, British Ambassador, was present at one or more of the sessions. The French Government gave its graceful recognition by authorizing the Baron d'Estournelles to present to Mr. Carnegie the cross of the Legion of Honor. The occasion, upon the whole, was one that cannot fail to be valuable in its bearing upon public opinion. War at one time was the business of nations; now peace is their business, and war is a painful and calamitous interruption. It is the duty of every person who can influence public opinion to cause it to be felt on all hands that war is henceforth to be averted, and that among the great and civilized nations of the earth it ought henceforth to be unthinkable. In our issue for

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BARON DESCAMPS.

confer for a few days before the outbreak of the last great war, Russia would have conceded practically all that Japan asked for, and that devastating conflict could have been averted. In the case of the South African War, furthermore, Mr. Stead believes that some form of mediation might have averted the conflict. The work that Mr. Stead is doing for the development of this principle of conciliation is a sound and practical thing and commands our respect.

Some

BARON D'ESTOURNELLES DE CONSTANT.

Mr. Carnegie puts forth the idea Noteworthy that if Germany would join with Copyright, 1907, by Pach, N. Y. Addresses. the United States, England, and France in an agreement to compel the world to abolish war, the reign of universal law would at once begin. This indeed might be true, but how can such an agreement be brought about? An air of official dignity was given to the congress by the presence of our Secretary of State, who made a wise and

next month we shall present more particularly the subject of the forthcoming Hague Conference, with some personal and biographical data regarding its membership, and especially regarding the members of the American delegation.

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An Improved

Copyright, 1907, by Pach, N. Y.

HON. ELIHU ROOT, SECRETARY OF STATE.

To those present at the sessions of International the first annual meeting of the Understanding. American Society of International Law (held in Washington, April 19 and 20) the conviction was brought home with great force that international understanding must, of necessity, mean international peace. Secretary of State Root's lucid and illuminating statement of the United States Government's attitude in the Japanese-San Francisco misunderstanding made it clear, beyond the peradventure of a doubt, that in so far as one people are correctly informed of the attitude and claims of another, in such measure will future international misunderstand

ings be impossible, or, at least, highly improbable. It is the hope of this important and excellent society to contribute, by discussion and publication, to the cause of international peace by diffusing a wider popular understanding of international law and the practice which nations observe in their relations one with the other. Among the topics of consideration at the Washington session last month were these: "Is the trade in contraband of war unneutral and should it be prohibited by international and municipal law?" "Is the forcible collection of contract debts in the interest of international justice and peace?" "The rights of foreigners in the

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tactful address, showing sympathy with the idealism of the peace advocates and at the same time revealing the earnest and practical statesmanship which guides our present Administration in its international policies. Secretary Straus also made an able address, and the Rt. Hon. James Bryce, British Ambassador, was present at one or more of the sessions. The French Government gave its graceful recognition by authorizing the Baron d'Estournelles to present to Mr. Carnegie the cross of the Legion of Honor. The occasion, upon the whole, was one that cannot fail to be valuable in its bearing upon public opinion. War at one time was the business of nations; now peace is their business, and war is a painful and calamitous interruption. It is the duty of every person who can influence public opinion to cause it to be felt on all hands that war is henceforth to be averted, and that among the great and civilized nations of the earth it ought henceforth to be unthinkable. In our issue for

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BARON DESCAMPS.

confer for a few days before the outbreak of the last great war, Russia would have conceded practically all that Japan asked for, and that devastating conflict could have been averted. In the case of the South African War, furthermore, Mr. Stead believes that some form of mediation might have averted the conflict. The work that Mr. Stead is doing for the development of this principle of conciliation is a sound and practical thing and commands our respect.

Some

BARON D'ESTOURNELLES DE CONSTANT.

Mr. Carnegie puts forth the idea Noteworthy that if Germany would join with Copyright, 1907, by Pach, N. Y. Addresses. the United States, England, and France in an agreement to compel the world to abolish war, the reign of universal law next month we shall present more particularwould at once begin. This indeed might be ly the subject of the forthcoming Hague true, but how can such an agreement be Conference, with some personal and biobrought about? An air of official dignity graphical data regarding its membership, and was given to the congress by the presence of especially regarding the members of the our Secretary of State, who made a wise and American delegation.

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An Improved

HON. ELIHU ROOT, SECRETARY OF STATE.

To those present at the sessions of ings be impossible, or, at least, highly imInternational the first annual meeting of the probable. It is the hope of this important Understanding. American Society of Internation- and excellent society to contribute, by disal Law (held in Washington, April 19 and cussion and publication, to the cause of in20) the conviction was brought home with ternational peace by diffusing a wider popugreat force that international understanding lar understanding of international law and must, of necessity, mean international peace. the practice which nations observe in their Secretary of State Root's lucid and illumi- relations one with the other. Among the nating statement of the United States Gov- topics of consideration at the Washington ernment's attitude in the Japanese-San Fran- session last month were these: "Is the trade in cisco misunderstanding made it clear, beyond contraband of war unneutral and should it be the peradventure of a doubt, that in so far as prohibited by international and municipal one people are correctly informed of the law?" "Is the forcible collection of contract attitude and claims of another, in such meas- debts in the interest of international justice ure will future international misunderstand- and peace?" "The rights of foreigners in the

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