General treaties of arbitration with the Dominican Republic and Uruguay were also negotiated by her in 1882, neither of which, however, was ratified. Again with Spain in 1902 Colombia agreed to submit to arbitral decision all questions of whatever nature which for any cause may arise between them, provided they do not affect the precepts of the constitutions of the countries and cannot be settled by direct negotiation.

This anticipation of a state of affairs when the nations of the earth shall war no more and all shall follow the Golden Rule, though regarded as Utopian by the older and more practical nations, is none the less praiseworthy. It is setting a standard— an ideal to be striven for, which these younger nations are likely to be the first to attain, because of their faith and optimism. "The first shall be last and the last first."

The strongest evidence of the deep hold which arbitration has taken upon the nations of Latin America is shown in the fact that in the constitutions of five of the republics appear provisions for a resort to arbitration before declaring war—in the constitutions of Venezuela of 1874 and 1893, Ecuador, of 1878, Santo Domingo, of 1880, Brazil, of 1891, and the Greater Republic of Central America, of 1895.

BLAINE'S EFFORTS FOR PAN AMERICAN PEACE

Of the close observers of the great movements affecting the nations none was more keenly alive to the progress of the peace movement than Secretary Blaine. His mind was deeply stirred as he considered the ruthless horrors of war with its attendant financial burdens, despoiled cities, devastated land and ruined homes. He realized the immense benefit which would result if the American nations should unite in a declaration in favor of peace.

Not long, therefore, after he became Secretary of State in 1881, he formulated a plan for a Pan American conference, "to consider

and discuss the methods of preventing war between the nations of America."

Untoward events making the meeting at that time impracticable, it was not until 1889 that his dream was realized.,

The first subject suggested by the invitation for the consideration of the conference, was

"An agreement upon the recommendation for adoption to their respective governments of a definite plan of arbitration of all questions, disputes and differences, that may now or hereafter exist between them, to the end that all difficulties and disputes between such nations may be peaceably settled and wars prevented."

The invitation was eagerly accepted by practically all the other American republics, and for the first time their representatives came together to deliberate upon plans to advance their common interests. The significance of, and possibilities for, humanity to issue from this conference time is still demonstrating.

By practically unanimous action of the delegates it was voted to "recommend all the governments by which they are accredited, to conclude a uniform treaty of arbitration," in a form set forth, which included the adoption of arbitration as a principle of American international law for the settlement of differences, and made arbitration obligatory in certain specified controversies.

Speaking of the plan adopted by the conference, Mr. Quintana, delegate from Argentina, said:

"As a work of peace, of justice, and of concord it does not rest, then, upon the strength of numbers nor the force of arms. It rests solely upon the public faith of the nations accepting it, upon the sense of dignity of each of them, and upon the moral responsibility incurred by any one which shall threaten this great work of civilization and of law, of the American mind and heart, faith, sense and responsibility, more respectable, nobler, and more efficient than the material strength of any one nation, however great and powerful."

Such lofty and ennobling sentiments uttered on behalf of the great people he represented, are in truth the sentiments of all the

people of Latin America, and are full of promise for the future of universal peace.

In his farewell address to the conference Mr. Blaine spoke these most fitting and apt words, full of inspiration:

"If, in this closing hour, the conference had but one deed to celebrate, we should dare call the world's attention to the deliberate, confident, solemn dedication of two great continents to peace, and to the prosperity which has peace for its foundation. We hold up this new Magna Charta, which abolishes war and substitutes arbitration between the American republics, as the first and great fruit of the International American Conference."

THE BENEFITS OF THE VARIOUS CONFERENCES

The benefits resulting from this First Pan American Conference were so evident that it was the opinion of all the governments that periodic conferences should be held. Accordingly at Mexico City in 1901-2 and at Rio Janeiro in 1906, delegates from all the American states met. A fourth conference at Buenos Aires in 1910 has just finished its labors, and its most important act viewed from the standpoint of its possible benefit to the cause of general peace, was a unanimous agreement on the part of the American nations as represented by their delegates to the conference, to submit to arbitration all pecuniary claims that they are unable to settle amicably by means of diplomacy.

The efforts of the delegates at the second and third conferences were, in accordance with the instructions of their governments, chiefly centered on the great cause-international arbitration-which received fresh impetus therefrom.

At Mexico a proctocol was signed providing for the adhesion of all the American states to The Hague conventions of 1899, the United States and Mexico being at that time the only American States which were parties to those conventions.