Armament Limit Out Of Peace Plan.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 25, 1913:
Senators' Objections, with Japan in Mind, Impress Wilson and Bryan.
DIPLOMATS HEAR SCHEME
Some Approve the Proposal to Avert War by First Investigating Cause of Dispute.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, April 24.— For the second time since he became Secretary of State Mr. Bryan invited the diplomatic corps to the State Department to-day. His purpose was to submit to them his plan for preventing war, which he explained to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations yesterday nearly all the Ambassadors and Ministers were present.
    Mr. Bryan dropped from his proposal the clause prohibiting the contracting parties from adding to their military or naval forces whilst the cause of dispute was being investigated by a joint commission of the contending parties. This omission, which was made with the President's knowledge, followed sharp criticism of the suggestion by Senators yesterday. They pointed out that while the United States and another power were investigating some difference and were under obligation during the investigation to maintain the military status quo, a third power, not similarly bound, might make extraordinary preparations and strike at the United States before this country could make any defense.
    The criticism so strongly impressed the President and Mr. Bryan that the latter made no reference whatever to armaments in his explanation to the diplomats. He told them that his plan was intended as a supplement to the twenty-five arbitration treaties now in force, to fill the gaps left by the exceptions which each treaty makes in regard to the subjects that may be arbitrated. The proposed delay would be beneficial in all disputes, said Mr. Bryan, and in no case could do harm.
    The Secretary of State told the Ministers and Ambassadors that the President was ready and willing to enter into negotiations with all the Nations severally for the drafting of a separate treaty with each Nation. This suggestion emphasized the fact that the proposed plan did not contemplate anything like a "peace league" of the civilized Nations, as such a league, it was realized, would be too cumbersome to organize and leave too wide a field for jealousy.
    After the conference with the foreign representatives, Mr. Bryan made the following statement:
    The statement presented to the Diplomatic Corps is only intended to set forth the main proposition, namely, that the President desires to enter into an agreement with each nation for the investigation of all questions of every nature whatever. This agreement is intended to supplement the arbitration treaties now in existence and those that may be made hereafter. Arbitration treaties already except some questions from arbitration. The agreement proposed by the President is intended to close the gap and leave no dispute that can become a cause for war without investigation.
    The time within which the report is to be made is left to be agreed upon, and it may be that the time will differ in different cases; but any time, however short, furnishes an opportunity for investigation and deliberation, and it is hoped that the period provided for investigation and deliberation will be sufficient to secure a settlement without resort to war.
    Each party is to reserve the right to act independently after a report is submitted, but it si not likely that a nation will declare war after it had had an opportunity to confer, during the investigation, with the opposing nation.
    But whether the proposed agreement accomplishes as much as is hoped for it, it is at least a step in the direction of universal peace, and I am pleased to be the agent through whom the President presents this proposition to the powers represented here.
    Strangely enough, the first member of the Diplomatic Corps to arrive at the State Department to-day was Viscount Chinda, the Japanese Ambassador, to whom the peace suggestion proved a most interesting subject of discussion. The Ambassador remained after the conference to have a final talk with Mr. Bryan about his mission to California in connection with the effort to persuade the Legislature of that State to refrain from enacting an alien land law offensive to Japan.
    Mr. Bryan said diplomats had expressed frank approval of the plan. Later President Wilson made known his views on the plan at an informal conference with newspaper men at the White House. He indicated that the details would be worked out by negotiation. The general proposal he has in mind is that the contracting nations should never go to war over any dispute before there has been an investigation of the facts involved. The plan would not be to bind the Nations to abide by any decision of the investigation commission, but merely to effect a suspension of judgment until impartial persons have looked into the circumstances at issue.
    The President considers that the plan of limiting armaments is feasible only if every Nation enters into a general arrangement. He recognizes that if two Nations agree not to make preparations for war a third might take advantage of the lapse and encroach upon either one of the inactive Nations.