Show pEACE AND THE POWERS j General Genera John W Foster ono of the ablest of American merican diplomats and who I part in The Hague conference as c delegate from China believes the conference accomplished much good In Ina fl a Washington interview he gives a brief but very ery lucid resume of what tailed sailed and what was ivas accomplished in inthe inI I the hea way of agreement Admitting that tre the meeting did not attain all aU that the tendS friends exis of ot peace had hoped for he be beH beT H f T it had made good progress It agreed to an International prize court a reform long advocated by neutral nations It has lias more fully perfected the method of bringing about commis commissions commissions of inquiry where hostilities are arc threatened between nations It failed to adopt compulsory arbitration pro proposed proposed proposed posed by the United States delegates but It perfected the existing arbitration arbitration tion Hon agreement and made several important im important Important to that instrument Instrument ment mont Additional rules governing war warfare warfare fare tare on land were agreed to and rules regarding naval war were improved One of the most important agree agreements agreements agreements ments is the provision prohibiting force In the tho collection of debts against gov governments governments governments when they are willing to sub submit submit submit mit the issues to arbitration This Is of particular importance to the South and Central American countries Be De Besides Besides sides these achievements another con conference conference conference ference has been provided for when unsettled questions may be discussed and Mr Ir Foster Foder thinks this will lead load to further steps in the direction of ot uni universal vernal versal peace Against this optimistic view the press of all il Europe regards the confer conference conference conference ence as a fiasco Part of this disappointing disappointing disappointing pointing result may be attributed to the continental conditions which make real and permanent peace a chimera As one of the London commentators remarks It SIt Is however a reminder to the tha other powers that we live in a world where not only nature but man manthe manthe manthe the child of nature Is still red In tooth and claw In international affairs man has not progressed far tar from the Stone Age when the brute with the biggest arm ann and the biggest club was about the only one who could expect to hold his possessions unmolested |