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Show PEACE TREATY SIGNED. i Ono swallow does not make a summer, sum-mer, and the signing of a peace pact between tho United States and The Netherlands will not usher in the mil-lenium. mil-lenium. Yet the fact is undeniable that the event is of more than usual significance, signifi-cance, marking as it does another step along tho road all civilized nations desire de-sire to travel. The treaty signed by Secretary Bryan on behalf of tho United States and Chevalier Van EappaTd for Tho Netherlands Nether-lands provides that any question which cannot be settled by diplomacy shall be submitted for investigation to an international inter-national commission of five members, the period of investigation being fixed at one year. No provision is mado for maintaining tho status quo in the meantime. mean-time. The chance of serious trouble botwoen this country and tho land of the tulip and Queen Wilholmina is exceedingly remote. re-mote. War with the Dutch burghers is unthinkable, 60 tho signing of the treaty will have no practical effect ox-cept ox-cept in so far ns it may encourage the more powerful nations of Europe to accept ac-cept tho proposal of the United States and placo war with its attendant horrors hor-rors under tho ban of civilization. Europe has been fittingly described as an armed camp for many years and long ago it was said that every German laborer went to the fields with a soldier sol-dier upon his back. Conditions havo grown worso instead of better until many of the most powerful nations of the world are no longer able to stand tho strain. Tho recent proposal of tho first lord of the British admiralty, 'Winston 'Win-ston Churchill, for a "naval holiday," is the logical result. Tho idea appears to have taken root in Germany, a hint having been dropped that if the United States wore to mako the proposal it would stand an excellent excel-lent chanco of being considered. One year'n cessation from tho building of warships would moan much to Great Britaiu.8 It would mean still more to Germany. Tho proposal will probably not bo acted upon at tho prosont timo, yet it shows the trend of thought and is in lino with the treaty negotiated by Secretary Bryan with Chevalier Van E apparel. Thoro may ibe wars and successions of wars until the crack of doom, but not necessarily bo. Many people aro willing to take a chance that the Good Book doesn't zneanexaotly what it ia usually thought to moan in that respect. At any rnte, a world-wido movemont for universal and lasting poaco is a cheering cheer-ing thought in those yulelide days, when tho hearts of men are softened and thoy open thoir purses in tho name of tho Prince of Peace. |
