The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-10
TO ABOLISH ARMIES.
How ALI the Nations Night
Dwell Together in Peace.
he BsesDsss 8xpssss - The PPsesat
Armed CssAisSsa - B1sspe, ana
1ss AbsurdIsy.

1oo0 Noo01sSoo . BoSOR&s o0o
lss AbsurdIsy.
During the reigns Of Hadrian and the
Antonines and for generations after the
Eastern conquest Of Trajan had been re-
hnguished the Roman empire Vas
bounded on the west By the Atlantic
ocean, on the north BY the Rhine and
Danube. on the east by the Euphrases
and on Tho south by the deserts Of Arabia
and Africa Broadly speaking. il included
the modern countries Of England, France.
Spain, Portugal. Belgium, Southeastern
Holland. Eastern and Southern Germany,
Swiszerland, Austria, Hungary. Italy.
Greece, the islands Of the Mediterranean,
most OF European and Asiatic Turkey.
Northern Arabia. Egypt and ali Of Africa
north Of the Sahara. II VAS the greatest
military empire that the world had ever
seen. Yet Gibbon says: ''lf We review the
general state Of the imperial forces-of she
cavalry a. well - infantry, Of the legions.
the anxiiaries. the guards and the navy
the most liberal computation will not al
low us to iii the entire establishment by
sea and by land at more than $4,000 men"
At the present time the standing armies
OF Europe on peace footing, including
only regulars in constant service and on
full pay. number about 3. 10000 men. and
the naval forces about 300 900 more. The
first reserves number abou: 100000. max
ing the entire war footing Immediately
available about II, -. 60 men. The Sec
ond reserves Of the six great powers
amount TO about 12.2sS. 900 men. The
sum total is over ., 10000 in population
Of less than 81 600. 900 of able bodied fs.en
Of fighting age In other words, Christian
Europe, with about three times the popu-
iation Of heather Rome. has peace estab
iishment of nearly seven and two-thirds
times rs many lighting men. q war estab-
iishment of mors than twenty-five times
as many. aud second reserves that swell
the grand total to more than fifty times a.
many.
A Roman soldiers arms were . spade
and pick-ax. light and a heavy spear.
sword. shield and helmet A modern
soldiers arms OF yesterday are obsolete to-
day. and those Of today will be obsolete
tomorrow. The cost of the latest battle
ship would equip the proudest Roman
army that ever marched to victory, yet
the progress of invention is 80 rapid that
Within few years probably even Gibral-
tar will be as defenseless as New Eng
land village. for battles. if fought at all,
will be fought not on land and
sea, but in the air. Modern warfare
factories Of Manchester and Lowell bear
to the hand looms Of our grandmothers.
1t is machine work on Ascalc never before
- ~ . In nd At
which wonld be impossible if science and
invention had not increased the product
iveness Of labor many fold.
Meanwhile the chief problem Of Euro
pean craftsmanship seems TO be how to
huge sums Of money with which to buy
the latest, devices for limiting the popula-
ton to Widows and orphans.
In ancient times permanent national
debts were unknown. Tho national debts
OF Europe, mostly incurred in war and in
preparation for war, amount to over TWEEN
ty-two Thousand millions Of dollars
($22. 01s. 0s5. o6sl and. in time Of peace. the
annual cost of maintaining her military
and naval establishments is over ssh, co.,
0oo. In addition to this expenditure and
to the payment Of interest on these stu
pendous debts. over 3.Mo. 600 Of men are
constantly and about 10. 100000 more are
occasionally made non-productive wealth
consumers. and are Liable at any time to
become NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Is it strange
that, In spite o; the increased efficiency OF
laNor, many European countries are
steadily drifting towards bankruptcy? Is
il strange that every year hundreds of
thousands OF their inhabitants seek new
homes on this side of the Atlantic?
Avs~ ds,1 botA~
combination OF oid-:ime fcroci,y and mod
ern science would be anEihilation, not in
centuries as when our Angio-Saxon an
ces,ors conquered Britain, bu. in weeks,
and even nnaer the less inhuman usages
of today there may be substantial annihil-
alton OF an able-bodied male population.
There was an approach to this in the late
Southern Confederacy. and the weapons
then in use were much inferior to those
of fss4 as they were superior to those of
the ab1rigines.
Most men fear poverty more than death,
and. under present conditions. mere inter
ruption of business aud loss of confidence
is widespread ruin. Also the proportion
OF destruciibie 20 inies,ructible property
has vastly increased. The bombardnen,
OF a rich city now would probably DESTROY
more wealth than any city OF The same size
contained a hundred years ago.
Meantime the printing press. railway
stt2HSHtp dist ieienfatN are bringing The
nations nearer together. Ever increasing
millions of men read, travel observe and
think. Individually and through the
agency OF syndlcates and trusts hundreds
oil thousands OF them are investing their
money in foreign lands. As artificial
barriers and the difficulties of time and
space are removed. and as capital. like
water. nnds its level. flowing the earth
around. people realize more aad mere tina,
nations are ueighbors and that imperative
seli-iaterest demands neishboghoo! pc ace.
Private wars belong 10 past ages. Mod
eru kings, Ike the humbiest commoner.
bow 10 the decisions of their supreme
courts. Only independent nations still
claim a right "a settle their disputes by
wholesale hatehery. Is il visionary tos
predict this barOaroas method can hardly
survive the horrors of another great
European war;
Civilized nations consist of law abiding
men. fairly intelligent, just and humane.
not one in a thousand of whom, except as
a soldier, ever thinks OF killing his neigh
bors. Their onsy lustlilea len for doing 50
as soldiers Is that while courts protect in
diviaaAls from each ether and ea.orce
their rights and redress their wrongs. no
human tribunal has like Jurisdiction and
power over independent nations II such
tribunal could re established the excuse
for international hloossshes would be re-
moved. Pope Leo NIL. broad IN nded