St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-05
THE SOLUTION OF WAR.


Humanity has made substantial
progress when the habitual attitude
of nations towards each other is not
one of perpetual hostility. 1t is evil
dence of that progress that arms is
not the sole avenue to advancement.
1t is further proof when generals are
no longer the sole heroes Of nations
and the right to rule is admitted
only to him who can best WELD the
sword. 1t is further evidence when
we have our peace congresses,
discussing the evils of wars and the
blessings of universal peace; when
lawyers are framing international
codes for courts of arbitration, and
when it is considered an affront for
a nation to reject the friendly offer
by another of it's services as mediator
in dispute.
So, slowly, with many backsets,
with too much of the old Adam yet
remaining, it has come that discus
sions of the solutions of war are
not mere scholastic distractions,
like the disputes of the schoolmen,
but are of present interest and great
and increasing moment. A writer
in the current North American offers
Palestine as a solution. He would
have the Jews restored, by the action
of the powers, to the possession of
their ancient country; their erection
into a nation sustained by all the
powers, and of the nation thus made,
a court of international arbitration
created Thus would there come, he
finds, a fulfillment Of much that is
written in the Bible. His argument
for some means by which war would
be prevented, it is needless to say, is
better than his conclusion. All will
accept the former, While but few
enthusiasts would accept the latter.
Progress in this direction must be,
as in everything else, evolutionary.
Nations do not accept ready-made
solutions of the problems that per-
pick them. The enthusiast is always
impatient, and would reform the evils
he deplores out of hand. 1t is more
than probable that improvement has
been oftener retarded than helped by
the use made of governmental powers
70, mr.
enthusiast learns wisdom. He re-
allies that men are to be persuaded,
not coerced, into progressive move
ments. So he turns from the mass
to the individual, from governments
to the governed, and directs his en-
ergies on educational instead Of COM
pulsory lines.
The solution of war, after all, rests
on that greatest and most forcefu1
| is self-interest that is at the base
of the motives of most wars, and
| it is here that the maxim of
Hahnemann, similia similibus Gu
rantur, applies. A greater interest
| in the preservation of peace than in
going to war must be created. When
| it is for the interest of the major por-
| ton of men that peace shall be
maintained, it will be. 1t has been
said that the immense development
| in the destructiveness of the imple-
ments of war is a preventive Of war.
1t may be a deterrent, but not pre-
ventive. There may easily be cir
cumstances where it would be an in
centive. We have recently seen in
! our own country the Impotence Of
naval officers at the policy that pre-
vented them from putting their float
ing armories into action.
The preservation of property is one
| phase OF the instinct of self-preserva-
ton, and than this, no man feels a
stronger interest. If wars are less
frequent now it is because property
! interests have become more interna-
tional The development of indus
trial enterprises has resulted in i'm
mense investments of money in the
stocks and bonds of nations and
their industries, the value of which
| rests on the preservation of peace
full commerce. Mutual interchange
of products has led to a dependence
! of country on country, of industry
on industry. The merchant today
has his customers all around the
globe, buying of some and selling to
others. Hampered as is our trade
with other countries, an inspection
Of our trade statistics shows that
our manufacturers are sending their
wares to their customers in every
country on earth. Anything that
disturbs or interrupts that trade af-
fects injuriously the profits of these
men of business. Through them the
hurt reaches thousands who cannot
see clearly the connection that unites
their interests. Over the stupidity
the narrow selfishness, the rapacity
Of men, overcoming or sweeping
aside the obstacles they foolishly
place in the way, the trade relation!
of the world have grown and spread
until they form net work of inter