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There was no court and no book of laws, and there were no lawyers for it. When countries disagreed about International Law there was no one to decide. War decided.

All the countries kept up armies and navies in case of disagreement. It cost millions of dollars to keep the armies and navies, and all the millions had to come out of the citizens' pockets. This had made much suffering.

Wise men in every country saw that there ought to be a court to settle the disputes of nations, with a real book of International Law. These men saw that the right way for countries to settle their disputes was by arbitration.

Arbitration means to call in an outsider who can listen to both sides, see the thing in a calm way, and decide justly. The world needed a Court of Arbitration with books of International Law and all the power that real courts have.

In 1898, the Czar of Russia, who is now no longer a Czar, invited all the governments to meet together and talk about a Court of Arbitration. Russia was one of the countries that suffered with a big army, and the Czar saw how much a Court of Arbitration was needed.

All the big countries sent representatives, and the meeting was held at The Hague, a beautiful city of Holland. At this meeting the countries agreed on the Code of International Law and made a plan for a Court of Arbitration.

In 1907, the countries sent their representatives again to The Hague and more was agreed upon.

Now at last the world had a Code of International Law, and a court where disputes could be settled, and an agreement about the most important things. It was now written down in books where every one could see it, just what the nations could expect of each other, what they could depend on.

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WHA

general conscience of the world believed to be right, just as the laws of a country show what the general conscience of that country believes to be right.

Most of the agreements were about war, because war has always been the most terrible danger to nations and it is in time of danger that most protection is needed.

Of all the mean and dishonest things that used to happen in wars, nothing had made so much trouble as the violation of neutrality.

Suppose on both sides of your house were families that disliked each other. Suppose the boys of the two families got great stones and threw at each other. Then suppose one family came over on your porch and threw stones at the other house from the shelter of yours. All the stones thrown back at them would hit your windows and your family; and you, who had not quarreled, would suffer the most of all.

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That is what has often happened in war. It is a violation of neutrality. To violate neutrality is for a warring country to go into a country that is not in the war, and use it to fight his enemy.

The nations at The Hague solemnly agreed that this sin against the rights of nations should not be committed. There should be no violation of neutrality.

One of the worst violations of neutrality that can happen is when the vessels of a peaceful country are captured or destroyed by the warring countries. The ocean is the natural open road for all countries. Every one has a right to travel there. War or no war,

no country has a right to destroy the vessels of a country not at war with her.

So this also was one of the agreements of the nations at The Hague. There should be no violation of neutrality on the sea.

Another agreement of great importance was about the sick and wounded in war, and those who take care of them.

Savages have no respect for innocence and no mercy for the helpless. But the civilized world realizes that some things must be sacred, even in war. To hurt a wounded man, or a nurse, or a doctor who is risking his life to help and save, is too low, too ugly. The nations said at The Hague that they would agree not to attack each other's hospitals, hospital ships, and first-aid tents, and not to attack the helpless, or those who care for them.

And because a prisoner of war is also helpless, being no longer in his army or protected by his own country, the nations at The Hague agreed on certain fair and humane treatment for prisoners of war.

Oh, how glad the world was when these agreements were made at The Hague! Especially in America we were happy, because in America we had known how sweet it is to have peace, and we hoped no war would

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