THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11217, 6 May 1899, Page 2

THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

There must have been something verdant about the member of the House of Commons who tried to get the Government to disclose the instructions given to the British commissioners to the Disarmament Conference. But the broad lines on which they will proceed may be guessed from a speech by Lord Salisbury in reply to Lord Kimberley in the House of Lords. He said:— "The only other matter to whioh the noble lord referred is the very remarkable invitation whioh the Emperor of Russia haa addressed to all the Powers to meet him in conference for the purpose of lightening the terrible burden of armaments laid npon ns, and of attempting to avert the ever-present possibility of war. No one can doubt the purity and grandeur of the motives whioh have animated the Emperor in giving this invitation, and everyone must heartily wish that the anticipation will be realised ,- but farther than that Ido not think it is safe to go. The constant increase in armaments which is taking place on all sides at the very time when we are speaking of and prophesying peace is not encouraging to the ideal dreams in whioh, perhaps, the Tsar has indulged, and they warn ns to prepare for a possible issue less gratifying than that on whioh he has most naturally and laudably allowed his mind to dwell. There are many difficulties to be surmounted before any such general benefit oan be achieved as that of which he had sketched out I shall myself be satisfied if the results of this conference and of these negotiations are capable of fulfilling a somewhat humbler aim. If, by extending the principle of arbitration, we are able to diminish the nnmber of causes by whioh war can be induced, and if, by humane and beneficent legislation we can diminish the horrors of that war when it ia waged, we shall, I think, have done for our generation a service of which the whole value cannot be appreciated at once, but to which the future inhabitants of the earth will look baok with gratitude: And if, as I hope, in that more distant tune it is developed to a greater and more perfect end, they will have cause to bless the name of the Sovereign whose imagination and whose power and courage have resulted in snoh a great

measure."