Since the beginning of the 19th century numberless peace societies of one kind and an other have been treated in different parts of the world, most of them without sufficient re sources at their disposal for carrying on very extensive propaganda, but sonic of them large and wealthy enough to make their influence felt in the counsels of world politics. These peace societies, the first of which was founded in New York in 1815, and the second in Lon don in 1816, may be called the mainspring of the International Peace Movement, since their membership includes the most prominent work ers in all countries, and since they are consti tuted for the express and exclusive purpose of dealing with questions of war and peace. To a considerable Orient they co-operate with one another, and while their policies and methods differ more or less, their objects, generally 'peaking, are identical and may be summarized as foliows: (1) to educate public opinion re Harding the evils of war and the advantages of peaceful settlement; (2) to advocate friendly agreement and co-operation in the regulation of matters affecting the family of nations; (3) to promulgate and pbpularize plans for the abolition of war and the perpetuation of peace; {4) to create in favor of such plans a public sentiment such as will incline responsible states men to apply them, with the necessary modifica tions, to the existing political conditions; (5) to bring about, ultimately, the establishment of an International Council or a Permanent Court of Arbitration to which all questions arising between nations shall be submitted by compulsion for adjudication on the basis of a universally accepted International Law.
It would be extremely difficult, if not im possible, to make out a complete list• of the peace societies that have sprung into existence all over the world in the course of the last few decades, and especially since the beginning of the great World War in 1914. The fact of the matter is, indeed, that almost every little town, especially in the United States, has its peace society, so that there are literally hundreds of them. 'The International Peace
Year-book' (1915), published by the National Peace Council (established in England in 1905 by the Second National Peace. Congress, of Great Britain and Ireland `Ito effect a -closer union of the [British] societies, and to •asSiat them in a sincere and earnest promotion' of the world's peace))) contains a list- of peace societies covering some 40 pages.; most of these mentioned do not claim an international char+ aster, however, while many of those -which claim it •scarcely possess it. Suffice it•to say; accordingly, that there are at least 10, or: 12 larger organizations, of which the Carnegie Endowment for International -Peace may ire called one of the most important, Whose:mem» bership comprises the leaders of the eeace move ment in all countries of the -civilized World and whose activity is therefore truly inber4 national.
- The question as to whether the world will ever be entirely rid of war is one which nobody can answer. It is consummation devote?, tio be but it is by no means a foregone conclusion. If perpetual peace ever reigns: on earth, it will be, as stated above,, the result of a long and slow process of education.. This may take a great many years, and meanwhile the stormy passions that make for war demand immediate action. Certain it is, at all events, that acceptable substitutes for . war created over-night and the habit of resorting to arbitratiqn for the settlement of. international differences cannot be , generated on the spur of the moment. Every day, however, the In ternational Peace Movement is gathering more and more adherents and aequiriug more and snore momentum, and it is more than possible That this will ultimately result in the creation of a world-wide public sentiment strong enough to bring about the definitive banishment of the scourge, of war from among civilized peoples. • Paul. B. THOMAS.