In 1907, Chile and Peru brought about at the Second Hague Conference an agreement that one of two interested parties to a dispute might inform the Hague Tribunal of its willingness to arbitrate. At the Second Hague Conference, in 1907, Dr. Drago of Argentina, M. Ruy Barbosa of Brazil, and M. Triana of Colombia took a leading part in shaping the action of the Conference.

In 1907, a remarkable step forward was taken by the five tumultuous republics of Central America, owing to the initiative of the United States and Mexico. A conference called in Washington by Secretary Root met November 14th, and achieved a triumph for peace. After a session of five weeks eight treaties were signed. The conventions agreed to were for the establishment of a Central American Court of Justice; for the establishment of an international Central American Bureau; for a general treaty of peace and amity; for communications pertaining to railroads and waterways; for extradition; for the establishment of a Central American Pedagogical Institute; and for future Central American conferences.

A Central American Court of Justice was forthwith established and opened May 25, 1908, "for the purpose of efficaciously guaranteeing their rights and maintaining peace and harmony unalterably in their relations without being obliged to resort in any case to the employment of force.” Twice since then war has been averted by reference to this court and, though there has been much

internal disorder in some of these states, in no instance has there been strife between them. Though the noble building erected for the court as a gift by Mr. Carnegie has been destroyed by earthquake, another, also provided by him, takes its place. The provision also made for an international school in which teachers from the five states shall be educated is a further guarantee of good understanding and good-will and perhaps of the first step in the ultimate federation of five weak nations into one strong one. Argentina and Brazil united with the United States in recent years in acting as mediators, under that provision of the Hague Conference in 1899 which enabled President Roosevelt to mediate between Japan and Russia, and which brought peace between Peru and Ecuador when they were involved in serious dispute about a boundary, which dispute seemed likely to involve three of their neighbours as well.

Hall of the Knights at The Hague.

Arrival of Delegates at the Second Peace Conference.

(Courtesy of Hamilton Holt, Esq.)

IN

CHAPTER XIV

HOPEFUL NEW AGENCIES FOR PEACE

BENEFACTORS OF THE PEACE MOVEMENT

N 1896, Alfred Nobel of Sweden, the inventor of dynamite, died, leaving a provision that most of his great fortune should go to establish five annual prizes, amounting to nearly forty thousand dollars each, to be given to such persons as had done the most important work for literature, chemistry, physics, medicine, and peace. The first four prizes are awarded by the Swedish authorities, the peace prize by a committee appointed by the Norwegian Storthing. A Nobel Institute was established in Christiania, whither the winner of the peace prize each year is to repair and deliver an address. The provision for a peace prize was due to the influence of Nobel's friend, Baroness von Suttner of Vienna, author of Lay Down Your Arms, a book translated into many languages, which with her many other writings and addresses have made her a leading factor in the peace movement for the last thirty years. The list of recipients of the Nobel peace prizes

are: