Peace Symposium
Peace Symposium is an article published in The Daily Chronicle on 30 january 1899.
Report of the lecture "Dr. Conan Doyle and Mr. Bernard Shaw: Disarmament vs. Arbitration" presided by Arthur Conan Doyle on 28 january 1899 at Hindhead, Haslemere.
Peace Symposium
DR. CONAN DOYLE AND MR. BERNARD SHAW.
DISARMAMENT v. ARBITRATION.
Dr. A. Conan Doyle presided on Saturday evening at a very largely attended meeting of residents of Hindhead, Haslemere, and district, held in the Hindhead Hall, "to assure the Government of support in making the forthcoming International Peace Conference effective." Accompanying the chairman on the platform were Mr. Charles McLaren, M.P., Mr. Corrie Grant, and Professor Christie.
Letters of regret at being unable to attend the meeting were read from Mr. Grant Allen, Sir Robert Hunter, Sir Frederik Pollock, Mr, Justice Wright, the Hon. Rollo Russell, and others.
Dr. Conan Doyle said he wished the great English nation, with its traditions and long record of philanthropy, had been the first to start this peace movement. But since it had been left to the head of another great nation to inaugurate it, if we were true to our national traditions we must loyally support it. It had always been easy enough to lash people into enthusiasm for war, and it would now be a refreshing change to lash them into enthusiasm for peace. (Cheers.) This was no new thing. Nineteen hundred years ago a great peace rescript was given to the nations of the world, but since that time wars had increased in number and violence, and things had reached such a pass that on the Continent of Europe, the most civilised part of the world, every man was brought up as a soldier. The wars of the future would be more terrible than the wars of the past. They would no longer be conflicts between two nations, but they would be conflicts between two armed races. Such a monstrous date of things obviously called for some improvement, and the Tsar's rescript gave the nations of the world an opportunity for examining their consciences to see if nothing could be done. (Cheers.) He believed the Tsar was absolutely honest, was actuated by the highest and most unselfish ideals, and meant every word he said. It would be time enough to think otherwise when his actions openly contradicted his words. (Hear, hear.)
Was the Scheme Practicable?
It was also suggested that it was impracticable. There never was any good step taken, either moral or material, but some people said it was unpracticable. It was objected that there were other schemes, but at present any other scheme must be academic in its nature. Here was a man at the head of a great nation, with 4,000,000 soldiers under him, who made a proposal. When another man — say the Emperor of Germany — came forward with another scheme then would be the time to weigh the two, and see which was the better. The burden of expenditure upon the maintenance of the armaments of the world was very great, and though he would not remove a single penny while it would endanger the safety of the country, still if others were prepared to stop it would be an advantage for this country. There ware many subjects withering for want of money. There was that enormous subject of old-age pensions, (Cheers.) He did think it was a national disgrace that about one out of every three poor people should die in the workhouse. (Cheers) If they could only manage to give every veteran of industry a little in his old age that would be a great achievement. There was also the question of secondary education. For both those subjects they wanted money, so they had a practical reason for supporting the Tsar's scheme. (Cheers.)
Mr. Mclaren proposed the usual resolution, which was seconded by Professor Christie.
International Arbitration.
Mr. Bernard Shaw said in this business to which they had put their hands the greatest danger they had was the danger of insincerity. (Cheers.) There would be no difficulty in getting up any number of meetings in this crusade, at which resolutions would be passed declaring in favor of peace. All the statesmen of Europe were in favor of it, and were saying polite things. The very men who were ordering torpedo-boats were expressing approval. But every man knew that if the sub-marine boats which were being experimented with in France turned out a success we should have them, and Germany would do the same. Nobody had the slightest faith that the Tsar himself had the power to prevent Russia doing exactly the same. They should make a sharp distinction between two sets of proposals before the world at present. One of the suggestions was that war should be made less terrible. It was said that in future ships of war should be built without rams. Every naval officer in England would give his support to that, for it was well known that in the collision between the Camperdown and the Victoria, the Camperdown, because she had a ram, nearly destroyed herself in sinking the other ship. If they did away with torpedoes, cannon, and magazine rifles, and returned to the armaments, for instance, of the Roman Empire, would that put an end to or reduce the horrors of war? On the contrary it would rather increase them. The Roman soldier, with his javelin and short sword, killed his man; the English soldier, with his magazine rifle, fired about 2,000 shots to kill a man. The most hopeful proposals were those relating to the international tribunal — (cheers) — before which public opinion would force nations to bring their quarrels. The sooner they cleared their minds of cant the better. He utterly disclaimed being a disarmament man in any sense. As long as war and fighting existed at all, the more its naked, wicked character should come out, the more its murderous character of massacring men by machinery should be understood. When the great international tribunal was established, he hoped the most advanced nations would put their armaments together, not for the purpose of making war, but for the purpose of compelling other nations to submit their disputes to arbitration. (Cheers.)
Mr. Corrie Grant, Mr. Whittaker, and Mr. Aneurin Williams supported the resolution, which was carried with acclamation.
