INTERNATIONAL CONCILIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13394, 21 September 1905, Page 2

INTERNATIONAL CONCILIATION.

iPRACTIOAL POLmOS OF-THE r NMI , WORLD'S PEACE MOVEMENT. -,'■■ ; THE WAR'S AID TO ITS .GROWTH. , FRENCH DIPLOMAT'S PROPOSAL: , FOR A FRANCO-GERMAN "ENTENTE CORDIALS." Bt BARON d'ESTOURNELLES' do ' CONSTANT. - ■- :--■ (Written for " Potentia."- Copyright. Solo ; Tight to publish.'in tho South Island, of sCcw Zealand arranged for by the Otago Daily Times.) v ' ' ■ Permanent change in habits of thought; calk for long preparation. , Tho world is , in a state of continual transition. Life is renewed insensibly like the vegetation' of forest, tho iuture hiding itself, modest and unassuming at its first appearance, beneath fhp traditional shade; the practised eye alono is able, amidst tho bracken and thicket, to distinguish the young plants'that will spring up gradually, claim their place in tho sun, and finally dethrone the dead, pak, only to fall later in their own , 'to. " Cast-iron intelligences cannot accept this taw of nature with patience; they demand a/complete transformation springing by enchantment as it were from tho soil of every country at the same moment; they exaggerate- at will the difficulties lhat would ihave to be overcome, aid point to them as. sufficient reason for doing nothing, for paralysing every effort at emancipation. Fortunately tho dry wind of criticism ■cannot sap the vigour of nature. Nothing hinders nations as they develop from drawing closer to one another in spite- of their rivalries; everywhere whero past history threatens to exercise too heavy a- pressure ■ftlie only result will be to drive the one into ft closer union with the other, .j. This is certainly a solidarity between tho future and the past o£ the tamo country, tut quite a new solidarity h created between the men. of the samo epoch. Let ms bo careful not to put the one in contra'diction to the other. The one rests upon Vno most cherished and worthy of eentimients, and is called patriotism"; the other ■S'ests upon understanding, and is called internationalism. It is the duty of every good citizen to reconcile them. Interna- , ■tionalism, far from being a crime and outrage upon the idea of fatherland, is on the contrary the apotheosis of that idea: it. is tho rovored and reverend fathorland'.ot the fatherlands; it is the fatherland brought •to a higher pitch of development, power, and prosperity: no longer does it mean isolation, hatred, and weakness—it means •tho union of fatherland. This idea still appears ridiculous to many men o£ standing in every country. Why? iTliero is one very simple Toason. These jnen, however varied their "nationality,. are eieeped in the same: traditions; they are .

all alike nourished on. the same recollec- . tions, prejudiced by tlio same precoracepv tions; they laiow only what existed before their own day. From this historical point of view they think they foresee what will come- after their day. They ignore what is present before their eyes. That is the whole point. Steam.and electricity have also introduced a new education, and this rudimentary education becomes that of tho masses, who are thus censing everywhere to ho at one with tho ruling classes. Tho masses discover what is before their eyes; tl'.c ruling classes persist in feeing only what preoedod them: hence tho growing Misunderstanding .-which I wish to see put an end to. It is not tße education of the masses we have to deal with, but that of the ruling classes; tha classes must belong to tlio'ir own era; it is their existence that is at stake. . ' ' Fortunately, in every country,.and especially in the new countries, those who are roidy to support the modem education of tho rnling classes make a numerous liouy. They recognise that it is a work of preservation and social safety. But it' is an ungracious and extremely complex work. Let us try to simplify it. It is chimerical to think of drawing France arid England closer, or France and Germany, or Franco and Italy. We must Jxigin moro modestly; we must draw the Freneh and tho English moro closely together, the Ercneh and the Germans, the French and tho Italians, and so on. That as our method. Profound ignorance lies Wore us to be swept away. The English and tho Germans, for example, are-brought . -up by tradition to see nothing in. the French but. frivolous, garrulous, vain, corrupt, and corrupting l>eings. Tlio French for their part'hare been brought up to sea in the one people tho incarnation of egoism, and; Jin the other tho incarnation of Joree. Death to tho English and.hatred for the Gor-wans-was tho classio_ formula of our every education truly national, a formula not Freneh. but nionarehio and tyrannic. But ibring Englishmen, Frenchmen, and Germans into personal touch; give them a common task, and little by little they will iliscovcr that they understand one another ivory well indeed, and' arc even complimentary of one another. Tiris experiment is being repeated every day, and ignorance, instead of-being, as before, the rule, will .soon be" tho exception. The Jingoes will l>o ridiculed at London; as at Paris, Berlin, »r Washington. I have frequently noted this fact, that two men (I do not mean, tv/o rivab), belonging to the same profession "but to two different understand one another of ton ibettcr than two men belonging to tho same •country but to two different professions. This is true quite aa much of two masons' «r two agriculturist* as of two soldiers or •two officers. Even war lias never hindered -two hostile armies from fraternising during •Q trace. I shall never in my life forget th'a im■ipression made upon my colleagues of the Srench Parliament and myself three years ngo when we first entered the noble hall of Westminster-Palace; our colleagues of "the-" English Parliament were awaiting-113, ond stood there for a moment like ourselves, Kpeechless. Only for a moment did we look • c-t one another, but that moment contained «U1 the mutual prejudices aad prepossessions thai we had to dissipate. We formed two tows of men strange and unknown to one. another, speaking different tongues, halted face, to face as if in recollection of the days Bvhen-the two countries drew -together only to give battle. A hand was stretched out, nnd immediately all hands were clasped. On both sides wo felt a profound joy to find ourselves reunited. We. wero almost 100 Frenchmen, come without distinction of ■party; and more than 200 Englishmen, Oon--Eorvativo and Liberal, were grouped to" re«iyc us. From, that: day not one of those Englishmen or Frenchmen■'.could find it.poseibie to utter the inept—so-called patriotic— calumnies .that constitntoa for too long a ■time the basis of publie education in both countries. . It will just ho the fame with the Germans on iho day they can see that it is their duty and interest to have an understanding with ns;like7the English; the, same■ with , ' the Americans and with every civilised race. If we caii assemble the chosen men "• in every country,, this international aristocracy will transform the education.of the.earth.-- r- ■ Such" is tlie task, .requiring long patience, appearing even impossible, that we havo undertaken in founding' our Committee of International Conciliation* an.act of union between our,friends of every land.. Could v;e any longer lesvo in isolation so many men devoted to the same cause: whether they were French, German, .English, JJ-uro.-. pean, Japanese, or American? No; tho most astonishing .discoveries of the present day would result only in anarchy if the material rapprochement of, science Jiad not as corollary, first, thel'-partnership of-tho people of'one country, aiid, nexti that of the nations. And .what means is more efficacious than the, practical example in such • given* bj'the jnentrastcdjn. their, own-country, apractice- far more eloquent'.than precept? '.', ', What; too. could be.move truly patriotic? The ; originality .of a.-.people. like, that of a. man, has everything to gain in. .a general organkatioh.-.reduping to a-minimum com-.-'.men'-'charges'." dangers, and!eipenie. ; It. is. ■well, that tho various: countries of the world, .with moro and nioro rapid.-", and regular intercommunication, should tend to organise. themselves .by,agreements ..; more - and 'mbro numerous. ■ Tho difficulties that embarrass one Sfa>*«-. emb»rra^- 4 more "or less'the.othora.; The Russian: disaster, in tho .Far East raises in tlie Facifio a world .- of now problems, for the whole- of Europe, ' for America and Australia: wbilb'.tbe ques- :- x . tit>i of' Morocco .revives .tb.e cW .dispute

of the Mediterranean, and complicates-tie. i tu^-,J alr cadj -dork enough, an Austria, peninsula, and Armenia. Spmo may,- retort that the misfortune of onb is .sometimes tho [rood fortune of others; but tho.happiest of peoples has,need to insure its future by a permanent organisation, and .tins.•organisation will henceforth bo •on'y;-a,^adov ;i -if it, l>o not universal. llo . r «V< l Cr, wo arc advancing moro or less .Unconsciously; , but slill advancing. Try ° r A to count np:the international mediums v\ n j i P rOCCSs of forces w'Nim the ' last •. decado - congresses, commissions, hnreaux, and agencies; I-have, noted them 'US- hundreds', and' .in" every branch ofIftiman. activity. Friendly conventions and international visits arc multiplying, not to speak of tho treaties of arbitration. ■■•.-«»;- you .-raj-, but wars'.too: Yet lef us mark-the advance: war-i$ losing in credit every,.day. ,1 know wolJ that ; bureaucrats protest against this evolution, and fight it, inching nprainst tho folly and crime of a. Utopian idea. But on-this point the masses are so unanimous that they impose silence on. tho rest; and if, in spite of all,- ; wars supervene, they., are wars-what shall I say?—arising on unlooked-for issues, rerrnote wars which people have drifted into for lack of precaution, becauso they' did not suspect iho gravity of the crisis. .We accept'w;r nowadays only on condition of net seeing it too close at hand. War is ceasing to lw 'continental to become colonial, _ and oven the colonial war is makihj; its , inconveniences and danger's: felt too uear homo. The English, whatever one may eay, -would have given much noi to have .had the war in.the Transvaal; the Russians no doubt wbiild give much' not to have gono to war in Manchuria; and even. the. i simple operations, where our only real adversaries were distance and climat<y-tni3 Tonkin and Madasgaear expeditions,—encountered eorious opposition! in France.

"The' victork'9 of Japan, the , realisation of the..Tellow Peril! the annihilation 'of the r»U3,sian fleet,- constitute a revelation which will riot be lost upon tho whole of Europe —the entire world—tho revelation that a nation.fighting at home has already a considerable advantage over its foe. This revelation will supply still another argument to the masses in every country in (avow oNntcrnational conciliation and' o( the limitation of military expenditure. Prom tho moment that war is ecen to be no longer an advantageous solution—the reverse to the defender of his countrysome _ other solution must be sought, and that is the organisation of uoace, which is our object, whatovcr may be done, and which is developing, littloby littJe. with the help even of circumstances apparently tho most adverse.

-Enormous progress has already been attained within a few years. It is useless to langh at tho Haguo Convention , ; it has rendered important services, despite- boycotting and all tho rabid parrot cries of opposition. It is accustoming people's minds to Jiave.-roeourse.to international justice rather than to force. Quite recently it furnished iuissia and England with automatic means of settling their Dojjger Bank dispute without a-blow being struck. It .is puerile to urge that these two Powers had not tho slightest intention 61 going to war; the progress consists precisely in preventinß warfare between two nations that might be wagged into it in spite of themselves by tho more or less factitiously excited state of public opinion. \ Franco will be able to claim a fair page m the'.history of this progress, but admirable also will have been tho role of England, as of the United' States, or, rather, tho whole of America. England has not only favoured tho acclimatisation of arbitration, but she has accepted its verdict without a murmur even when to her detriment.The United State? took the lead in tho ■movement when Europe dronned it. From the one tho Czar's initiative iVidivet with enthijsiasm when tho others were hostile or coldly indifferent, and the exposition was about to gain tho day. The work of the Hagvo was condemned on tho incredible pretext that people refused to make use of it. President Roosevelt succeeded in rscuing. and rehabilitating it. I shall ba told that nothing has bi'cn settled, that Sing Edward VII and President Roosove.lt may change their attitude. Everything is passible, but meantime Iftth will have rendered the immense service o[ directing public opinion,. even in tho case of tho Governments thomselves, along a channel formerly rcEcrvod for philosophers and : poets. Arid from tho moment that they are able to. invoke-these examples and precedents, and 1o appeal to such authority in support, of their unanimous desire,' the masses will cease to-need our exhortation tn make use- of these arguments. Even if wo admit that a fresh, war may break out, colonial or continental, remote- or near, on tho day that eiianco by eomo possible coincidence has driven two blind or corrupt Government,? to blows, still the horror-oi sne-h ■a - catastrophe -~.)][ bring tho nations to a yet clearer consciousness of their interests. To toll the truth—ami why coneaal it?— tho sole/obstacle to the organisation ot peace lies, in tho relations of Germany with France, _ with England, and with America, For- various reasons these relations are not what they ought to ]>?. But need we, then, despair? Some wretched beings represent Germany as wsitins only an opportunity to profit by tho defeat of the Russians to enter upon a campaign with her fresh fleets and 'unemployed arms. A campaign against 'whom? Against England and America? We- should'have to believe Germany afflicted by madness to plunge into such an adventure light-licaitodly in tho sfull tido of prosperity. Against Franco? It would bo paradoxical to see Germany choosing -a moment to strike tho blow when Franco for yeara 'has been affording tho world the imposing spectacle of ■ a deliberately pacific policy. The Morocco incident could mot be a casus belli, for France lias declared from tho beginning that she sought, from the Sultan no exclusive benefit, and looked only for that, restortaion of. order which all tho Powers vow they are tacking. Wilt it be said Germany would attack Franoa jusfc becaiuo France tlesires peace? Who ' could seriously support siieli a heresy? Who imagines tJiat a vcacefiil Franc© means a Franco disarmed, vanquished in advar.ee, resigned to endure everything? No cnc. believes such a thing, and it .would be. an insult to tho German Emperor to credit him with, an ulterior motive which, his invariable attitude for-

mally contradicts. Jlaking allcflranco for the misunderstandings of recent years, and the wrongs that 'have not .been entirely on one side, the Emperor has always manifested a keen desire to live in harmony jvitri France—ho 'has even been reproached w&h the fact. We must grve him common justice. And who, on, tho other hand, does not see. that Germany has everything •to lose both at homo and abroad in 3, war with; France? At homo wo cannot teli

wluit might bs the social reverberation of d long and ruinous "wror, «md inoaam wars are, and will more nnd more become, long and ruinous. Abroad,. all America, tho whole Anglo.-Sanon world, .believes itealf,

rigEtly or wrongly.Nmenaced •by the commnicial expansion ct German colonisation. Thiro k small likelihood ,thafc\ any cnt«rprise of ..Germany- tondinjr : still. further to increase hci' - power would bo . viewed favourably - by her rivals •• across tho seas. Tho naval' victory of Japan is! not calculated to encourage isolated Germany '-to force their ill-humour to extremes; a. land' war, lightly entered upon,.would "rnsan the ruin of hor.eca trade, - while she wctiM be trying to ruin France, and I say nothing o[ tho popular feeling against her that her unrestrained militarism ha S '^tirrcdup in every country; that, constitutes,', at. pro-, sent., a natural coalition jh'at' every dearsighted Government must against. In my view, then, it is wrong and-absurd to accuse Germany of pavinpr ibo way for a war that would; spell-disaster-tocher,' whatever might result, admitting even .that fortune favoured lii.«r-,arma_on...land,and foa, for war and. victory-could only ■engender reprisals. In consequence, • Germany , having nothing .to gain by war, her interests, like that of tho,' ■. other States, is clear; she must■ organise , with a vjcvy.to making peaca endurable,' n&.littlo/onerous as possible, to seek a good: understanding a,nd not a quarrel! " /■■--— .-- A Franco-German "entente" is just as possible as an Anglo-French, by -he'lo'cl i/utunl concespipris; The one in our minds has never been' anything/biit the , , nreface to the other, but this agreement will-never bo realisable till tho' day when Frcnce .and Germany, in common with the entire world, fool its benefit, and necessity... Tho'i, that necessity enco established "and understood, the conditions of tho agreement will emerge of themselves by the force of things; both parties wiU. perceive that the agreement to be permanent 'must Iμ acceptable to both, and that ,r.o object will; bo sarved by concluding it prematurely, even by a dinlomntie triumph;' 'Diplomatic' victories, like military victories,'.leave only the Rcrms of ,e,vil behind-them, when they are too suable. There is no finite victory but that, of reason. -

To pave tho way in every nation for the solutions of reason, wo l««rin by groupinir tho largest number pojsil>!«' cf men of reason in every nation. Their words, their deeds, jir.d their example will exorci-o unoti the geJieml opinion an influence growing, slroy'py every day; and that opinion 1 in it; tii'rn will exercise its' influence upon the fiovenimsnt?. It is only a question of time and method nod patience. 'Our. Committee of International Conciliation will bo patient.