352 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -XXIV 



has hitherto heard the clamor of interested parties and 

 the shrieks of sensation newspapers. The natural result 

 will be, as in the Venezuelan difficulty between the United 

 States and Great Britain, that when a commission of this 

 sort has been set at work to ascertain the facts, the howl 

 ing of partizans and screaming of sensation-mongers will 

 cease, and the finding of the commission be calmly 

 awaited. 



So, too, the plans adopted for mediation can hardly 

 fail to aid in keeping off war. The plans for &quot; special 

 mediation &quot; and &quot; seconding powers, &quot; which emanated 

 entirely from the American delegation, and which were 

 adopted unanimously by the great committee and by the 

 conference, seem likely to prove in some cases an effec 

 tive means of preventing hostilities, and even of arrest 

 ing them after they have begun. Had it been in operation 

 during our recent war with Spain, it would probably have 

 closed it immediately after the loss of Cervera s fleet, 

 and would have saved many lives and much treasure. 



Secondly, the extension of the Geneva rules, hitherto 

 adopted for war on land, to war also on the sea is a dis 

 tinct gain in the cause of mercy. 



Thirdly, the amelioration and more careful definition 

 of the laws of war must aid powerfully in that evolution 

 of mercy and right reason which has been going on for 

 hundreds of years, and especially since the great work 

 of Grotius. 



In addition to these gains may well be mentioned the 

 declarations, expressions of opinion, and utterance of 

 wishes for continued study and persevering effort to 

 make the instrumentalities of war less cruel and de 

 structive. 



It has been said not infrequently that the conference 

 missed a great opportunity when it made the resort to 

 arbitration voluntary and not obligatory. Such an ob 

 jection can come only from those who have never duly 

 considered the problem concerned. Obligatory arbitra 

 tion between states is indeed possible in various petty 



