nent peace? That
suggestion has been made--I think both sides have expressed a desire
that the peace, when secured, shall be permanent--but who can give a
pledge as to the future? If fear that the peace may not be permanent
is given as the reason for refusal it is not a sufficient reason.
While no one can stand surety for what may come, it is not difficult
to adopt measures which will give far greater assurance of permanent
peace than the world has ever known before.

Second--The treaty in which they join should provide for investigation
by a permanent international commission of every dispute that may
arise, no matter what its character or nature. The United States has
already made thirty treaties embodying this principle, and these
thirty treaties link our country to nearly three-quarters of all the
inhabitants of the world. We have such a treaty in force between the
United States and four of the countries now at war--Great Britain,
France, Russia, and Italy. The principle of this treaty has been
accepted by three other belligerents--Germany, Austria, and
Belgium--although treaties with these nations have not yet been
negotiated. These seven warring nations have indorsed the principle
embodied in these treaties, namely, that there shall be no declaration
of war or commencement of hostilities until the subject in dispute has
been investigated by an international commission. Why cannot they
apply the principle as between themselves? What cause of war is of
such magnitude that nations can afford to commence shooting at each
other before the cause is investigated? A treaty such as those which
now protect the peace of the United States would give a year's time
for investigation and report, and who doubts that a year's time would
be sufficient to reach an amicable settlement of almost every
difficulty?

Does any one suppose that the present war would have been begun if a
year's time had been taken to investigate the dispute between Austria
and Serbia? It will be remembered that Serbia had only twenty-four
hours in which to reply, and it will also be remembered that during
this brief time the rulers of the Old World endeavored to find a means
of preventing war. If they had only had some machinery which they
could have employed to avert war, how gladly would they have availed
themselves of it! The machinery provided by treaty can be resorted to
with honor--yes, with honor--no matter how high a sense of honor the
nation has