THE WORLD'S PEACE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 67, 20 March 1911, Page 3

THE WORLD'S PEACE.

Commenting on Mr Carnegie's princely gift of two millions, the revenue from which, is to be used to hasten the abolition of international war, the London Times remarks that he takes as a text for his great enterprise—which many will regard as easy of accomplishment—an address delivered by President Taft before the Peace and Arbitration Society at New York in the spring of last year. "I have noticed," 'said Mr Taft. "expeptions in our arbitration treaties _as to reference of questions of national honour to Courts of Arbitration . Personally J. do not see any more reason why matters of national honour should' not be referred to a Court of Arbitration than matters of property or of national proprietorship. I know that is going further than most men are willing to go, but % do not see why questions of honor may not be submitted to a tribunal composed of men of honor who understand questions of national honor, to abide by their decisions, as well as any other questions of difference arising between nation." Mr Carnegie might have cited a much, earlier authority than Mr Taft among his own countrymen—if indeed we are' to regard as a citizen of the United States a man who was born in Scotland and is now in the fullest and highest sense a naturalised "citizen of the world. Franklin wrote in ] 780:—"We make great improvements in natural, there is one I wish to see in moral, philosophy—the discovery of a plan which would induce and oblige nations to settle their disputes without first cutting one another's throats. When will human reason be sufficiently improved to sse the advantage of this?" After the lapse of 130 years human reason is manifestly not yet sufficiently improved to see it, or there would be no need by this time for Mr Carnegio's magnificent new trust. We must still say sorrowfully with Joubert, "C'est la force et le droit gui reglent toutes choses dans le monde; la force en atteendant le droit," Force is still waiting until right is ready to achieve its perfect work, and to all appearance it will still have many a long day to wait. If money alone could attain the object it would be well worth the while of the nations to lay down their tens, nay, their scores, of millions, for each one of Mr Carnegie's, if by so doing they could best rid of the crushing and ever-growing burden of their armaments. But could they? is in the present state of the world little or no sign that they could.