To justify my acceptance of the appointment with which I have been so unworthily honored, I might say in general that a clergyman who is undertaking to discharge strictly ecclesiastical duties without regard to the principles which obtain generally amongst business men has mistaken his calling. I know very well that there are many who think the clergymen are not as a rule very good business men. I venture to differ, with all due deference and yet after a considerable amount of experience in this respect, from such an opinion, being perfectly willing (if I may not be trespassing upon the line of courtesy) to put alongside the failures amongst business men, technically so-called, the failures amongst the ministers of all denominations in the land. And in further justification of my attendance, I may say that in the first recorded public saying of our Blessed Lord He gave utterance to a great truth to be remembered and to be applied in their daily lives, as well by clergymen as by laymen, when in answer to the anxious inquiry of his earthly parents why he had given them so much concern as to why he was absent from their number, He replied, "Wist ye not that I must be about my father's business?" I am well aware that there is another version of the sayings of our Blessed Lord, but King James' version in this connection, as in others, is still, Mr. Chairman, good enough for me, and I should be very sorry if there disappeared from general circulation the very phrase which I quoted of our Blessed Lord's saying on that memorable occasion, because He reminded those who heard Him, as He has since reminded all of His disciples and followers, that discipleship in Him and following of Him were to be accounted a regular or lawful continuous act of business. And therefore let me say again, it is a mistake on the part of the laity, if I may venture so to speak, to look upon clergymen as not deserving of a place amongst those who are technically styled "business men."

In regard to the very question which is more specifically presented to us for consideration to-night, the attitude of business men towards this question of international arbitration, what are the duties in this respect devolving upon business men? Might I say that if the business men of this nation were in the conduct of their business to consider the privilege of fellowship in the principles of our Blessed Lord as of more value than the acquisition, and sometimes the mere hoarding of filthy lucre, we should be a great deal nearer the accomplishment of our great desires in this respect and in other needed and praiseworthy respects. It is to me, sir, a most hopeful sign that amongst so many organizations of business men, this question of international arbitration has been utterly removed, or practically so, from the mere position of academic discussion, and now belongs bv general consent to those topics which are of the most practical char

acter. The very increase in the number of such organizations represented here from time to time proves this most manifestly, but in addition to the organizations here represented, I may venture to assert that there are a great many other similar organizations scattered throughout the land, the members of which are in entire accord with the sentiments which we now hope permeate the minds of those who are here as members of this Conference. Therefore, it is, as it seems to me, an answer to the very question as to how business men can prove the sincerity of their interest in this matter, to have presented to us to-night this very large and representative list of organizations who have gathered in our midst; and might I, as a practical matter in this connection, say how much impressed I was with the suggestion made this morning by one of the speakers, that the several boards of trade throughout the land should be urged by some pecuniary donations to establish lectureships or to give prizes for discussion in this very field of international arbitration; and I shall take advantage on my return to the Board of Trade of Wilmington to press this notion upon my fellow-members.

I should have been glad, had the opportunity been afforded me, to speak more directly, perhaps, to the question of the relation to the mercantile interests of our land of war and its consequences, but I must simply content myself with one closing thought, as to the immeasurable potency of the influence in state and national affairs wielded by the business men of this nation, and pray that it may ever be on the side of right, but ever accompanied, too, by the divine and irresistible force of forbearance, justice, reason, self-effacement, peace, and love. (Applause.)

REMARKS OF HON. LOYED E. CHAMBERLAIN, DELEGATE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE BOARD OF TRADE.

I suppose the average business man in his annual life comes in closer contact with a greater variety of men at more points in the circle than any other man in our midst. For that reason the business man becomes a valuable asset in any institution or cause that presupposes and necessitates the creating, the fostering or development of public sentiment. The business man in the halls of the legislature is the sheet anchor of wise legislation. The business man has the ear of the government, because the government knows he is a conservative man, that he is a potent factor in his community and that he makes up his mind after he has seen and discussed all sides of a given question. The business man essentially desires peace rather than disturbance. Then it becomes necessary in this cause, as in all others, to have with it the best influence of the business man, and I have always con

ceived it as one of the wisest moves in this Conference that it sought a few years ago to secure as its clientage the business community and organizations of the United States.

The Massachusetts State Board of Trade early became interested in this movement and was one of the first to accept the invitation that was sent out. It entered at once upon its work, determined that it would not be a negative factor, but would (if it could) become a positive force. The board immediately formed a permanent committee on international arbitration. That committee was given to understand that it was not merely an ornament, but that it was there to do some work. It was to keep its eye out over the world; it was to voice to the organization the best and growing sentiment of the world along these lines and it was to be the mouthpiece, if the necessity came about, to speak for the movement. The committee wrote up the history of the Hague Tribunal; it sought in every way to make the work of this Tribunal and its possible work, as well as its history, known to all the membership. As chairman of that committee I think we have succeeded in so doing. But this Board was not content to move along these lines; it was desirous, if it could, of contributing something positive to this great work outside of the lines that had been suggested to it, and some of you may remember that I had the good fortune to present before this Conference, representing the State Board of Trade, a proposition which it had worked out and which it had sought to give to the world.

This was the neutralization of the ocean routes of travel between the great commercial ports of the world. The Massachusetts State Board of Trade realized the importance of commerce; that it had been the inspiration of discoverers; that it was the mother of expansion; that great wars had been fought in its behest and in its behalf and at its command treaties had been framed and peace had once more reigned. It realized that there had been no time in the history of this world when the commercial force was so powerful as to-day; that there never was a time in the world's history when the nations were so closely allied as to-day, that there never was a time in the world's history when by reason of science, by reason of the telegraph, telephone and swift-moving steamships, which had been brought about because of commerce, the whole family was so near being a real family as in these very years in which we now live.

It invoked in this proposition three fundamental ideas; one was the right of intercourse between nations. I may say this is an inalienable right. It is a right of all sovereign powers that there should be free intercourse, one with another. It invoked in the second place that the waters of the great oceans are com

mon property, that all nations bordering upon them have a right to use that common highway, and no belligerent nations, because of some little difference of their own, have a right to trespass on this common property. It invoked as the third proposition, neutrality, neutrality being in time of war a continuation of the conditions that existed before the war came into existence. Based upon these three ideas it propounded the doctrine that the great trade routes between the commercial centers of the world should be left open so that in case of war contending parties should not trespass upon the rights of those who had the privilege and right to use this common highway.

We promulgated that doctrine, we thought we had a good thing, and we were determined the nations of the world should know something about it. We sent communications to all the business organizations of the country and to every government of the world. They were thrown into the waste basket, perhaps, but we had performed our duty. We came to the Mohonk Conference and you saw the benefit of it and unanimously incorporated it in your platform last year. Under this powerful guarantee we went forth, and I had the privilege of attending, as delegate, the last International Peace Congress at Milan. There this question was brought up, and Dr. Trueblood, in whose company I went, later referred in his paper to the debate on the proposition as one of the most interesting debates to which he had ever listened in any Peace Conference. It was seriously discussed and by a considerable number of the representatives. If time allowed I would like to bring up the arguments presented pro and con. I then went to the International Law Association at Berlin and the proposition was there submitted to a committee for its study along these same lines. We sent a delegation to the National Peace Conference recently held in New York and, although not incorporated in the platform, it became the subject. of a supplementary resolution. The present session of the Massachusetts Legislature memorialized the President, indicating several subjects which it thought proper for the next discussion at The Hague; and because of the suggestion and at the request of the Massachusetts State Board of Trade the Legislature incorporated into its memorial this proposition. We have not been content to stop there. We have sent our own memorial to the President along these same lines and I thought perhaps at this time it might be interesting for me to rehearse what it is not necessary to discuss, because it has already been adjudicated upon by this body, that these business organizations can find a world of opportunity, if so disposed, to give the sledge hammer blows of hard-headed, conservative, practical men in behalf of this great proposition. (Applause.)

REMARKS OF MR. DEXTER HUNTER,

DELEGATE OF THE JACKSONVILLE BOARD OF TRADE.

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Smiley and my Friends: What is the real attitude of the average business man with regard to the subject of international arbitration? By the average business man I do not mean the multi-millionaire; I do not even include the man who, having passed the meridian of life and accumulated a comfortable competence, is making the final preparation for his exit from this world. I mean simply the earnest, hard-headed working man whose time is wholly absorbed in the prosecution of his business and who in a general way rarely bestows much thought upon any other subject.

So far as my observation and experience go, this man does not give his hearty approval to the subject of international arbitration. Neither, on the other hand, does he actively oppose it. His attitude, so far as I am familiar with it, is one of quiet acquiescence in the doctrine, due in part to its high-sounding title and in part to the distinguished character of the men by whom it is advocated. In a word, having assented to the general proposition, his mind is in a plastic state and he is awaiting further light upon the subject. It is just here that the opportunity as well as the responsibility of the leaders of public opinion come in. It is for them to say, and especially for our delegation to the Hague Conference to say, whether this nation shall stand for peace or war. The average business man is a man of "goodwill" and he will ardently support any proposition put forward by the Hague Conference that makes for peace and that does not involve the honor of the flag or the integrity of our territory. One of the things that the average business man does expect of our delegates to the Conference is that they shall be inspired by the belief that sometime, somehow, war will cease, and deal with all subjects brought to the attention of the Conference in that spirit. He will be greatly disappointed if our delegates should fail earnestly to advocate the following propositions, provided opportunity is afforded therefor:

1. The establishment of a permanent tribunal for the promotion of arbitration;

2. The limitation of naval armaments;

3. The establishment of neutral zones of travel on the high

seas;

And last, but not least, the prohibition of the collection of private debts by one nation as against another nation by force of arms.

The average business man has heard a good deal during the past year about the abstract principle of arbitration. He is in the position of the builder who, having been driven over a large