28 Expansion and Peace 



dreadful, and as nations grow more and more civ 

 ilized we have every reason, not merely to hope, but 

 to believe that they will grow rarer and rarer. Even 

 with civilized peoples, as was shown by our own ex 

 perience in 1 86 1, it may be necessary at last to draw 

 the sword rather than to submit to wrong-doing. 

 But a very marked feature in the world-history of 

 the present century has been the growing infre- 

 quency of wars between great civilized nations. 

 The Peace Conference at The Hague is but one of 

 the signs of this growth. I am among those who 

 believe that much was accomplished at that confer 

 ence, and I am proud of the leading position taken 

 in the conference by our delegates. Incidentally I 

 may mention that the testimony is unanimous that 

 they were able to take this leading position chiefly 

 because we had just emerged victorious from our 

 most righteous war with Spain. Scant attention is 

 paid to the weakling or the coward who babbles of 

 peace; but due heed is given to the strong man 

 with the sword girt on thigh who preaches peace, not 

 from ignoble motives, not from fear or distrust of 

 his own powers, but from a deep sense of moral 

 obligation. 



The growth of peacefulness between nations, 

 however, has been confined strictly to those that are 

 civilized. It can only come when both parties to 

 a possible quarrel feel the same spirit. With a 



