Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 November 1908 — THE VANISHING FLEETS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE VANISHING FLEETS

By ROY NORTON

by a. writ

Now, after 0 Its deliberate plans and quick action, It was to accept as a sole cause for Jubilation the return of the men who had manned--it* tnlghty fleet, and wait tor the returnjifjrtiips that were useless for all purposes.' Its dream of indemnities was gone, its ambition for more territory was never to be realised, and its hope of competing with other great powers as a world factor had come to naught It is doubtful if the government shared in the joy of those who had, given up for dead the ones they loved and were now enabled to cast aside Scarfs of mourning.' The Japanese were to learn that one successful war does not constitute a series, and that all nations were not Inefficient The lesson of civilization had been hammered home with sickening emphasis. Scarcely had peace been concluded when the administration by a declaration to its own people cut as with one blow of a knife a knot which threatened financial panic. It was prefaced with a statement that the reason why ho indemnities had been demanded from Japan was because under altered conditions following the war it would be imposing a hardship on a nation already stricken, without the need

therefor, in substance It stated that -Inaaipuch as there would be no future appropriations and consequently no taAtlon for navies or fortifications, vast reductions would automatically be mqde in the expense of operating the government It was also announced that as the United States bad been presented with a new form of transportation by its Inventor, It had set aside for him and his heirs sufficient royalties to render them financially Independent, and that furthermore In the interest of perpetual peace the secret of the radloplane would be maintained inviolable. 1 The railways of the country would be .permitted to reorganize and continue as freight carriers until such time as their rates were deemed exorbitant or their charters expired, the government abrogating to itself all passenger traffic within the confines of its own continent, and declaring Itself a competitor for all ocean transportation under tariffs to be formulated. It ended by asserting that government ownership of aerial transportation was not adopted at the behest of any political barty, but solely that the people _might derive the benefit •nd the nation maintain Its invulnerable power. Thus it was that the railways were still permitted to exist and no hardship worked save tn the readjustments of capitalization, which losses fell mainly upon those who had accumulated vast fortunes by the very inflation which was now punctured. As if to knit the world together In International harmony, the culmlnsr tlon came In a message addressed to

all nations which was penned by the hand of the president himself. 'lt was bls proposal for the maintenance of peace, and read as follows*. "That war and Its barbarisms may for ail time be done away with, the United States of America submits that: “By.the grace of God it has been placed in possession of such power that it could not only conquer the world, but destroy the inhabitants of other nations. This has been fully demonstrated. It has no desire to utilize ita strength unjustly, but purposes tto exert it for the benefit of all men. "It Considers territorial greed to be the reyl impelling motive in nearly all international wars. Therefore it requests all nations become signatory to ah agreement in perpetuity that under no oirownstancds shall there be any invasion of the territory of one country by another, and that all boundary lines shall remain as now established, except they be changed by the mutual Md amicable agreement of the adjoining powers to which they belong. ~ 4 "Questions involving national dignity can be adjusted by better means than war, as can nearly all* other questions which from time to time arise-between governments; hence the United States urges that full powers of adjudication and arbitration be vested in h standing oommission representing each nation, which shall have for its seat of office some place upon which the greater number may agree. "Ths United States, having faith In the Anglo-Saxon race as representing one of the moot peaceful and conservative, has formed an offensive and defensive alliance with Great Britain, through the personal efforts of the. king and his prime minister. These two governments have no desire to act as peace officers for the world, but pledge themaelvOe to plhoe all their power at the command of the International commission tor the enforcement of its findings.** Tho.Qermsa emperor/, true to his promise, was the /first tdfclH official • ratification to the message, and added thereto hie earnest entreaty that all

half, fortified by his own observations, and reviewed the reasons why Germany had previously declined disarm-, ament In conferences at The Hague. His attitude was that of impartiality, and no mention was made of mooted questions between Great Britain and his. own country, which webs later adjusted satisfactorily through the commission, and passed into his- , tory as the. first dispute which tha| body was called upon to arbitrate. There followed* brief lapse of days, in which the other nations of the earth studied this communication in temper according to their desires. It came as ah amazing document dn a* \«poch which was uprooting existing conditions and establishing new one* The underlying threat of interference in any International war, however, made it patent that the wisest'course would be In graceful acceptance. Hence it was that all the principal governments bound themselves In the compact. The last page had been written in the voluminous history of strife* The hissing of the barb, the retching of the catapult, the clangos of sword and buckler, and the booming of cannon, which in the course of time had succeeded each other, were sound* to be heard no more pn land or sea. Peace had at last assumed its tranquil dominion. . When the last acceptance from thq most laggardly nation was received* the ‘news was made known to the silent man la the White House. It was on another night in summer when the moon cast its shadows over the city and the shining breast of the river. Still along, bnt now belove< and understood by alibi* lie knelt by an open Window,and, with a face glorified by the radiance of the night and bis thoughts, thanked the God who had made film steadfast to accomplish his desire. The president, too, had reached his goal of dreams. (To be continued.)