Evening star., 1897-01-02
A PLEA FOR WAR.
a Military View of the Efforts of the
Peace Congress-.

A Military View of the Efforts of the
Peace Congress.
From the Army and Navy Jorunal
The peace congress at Buda Pesth has
among its resolutions one calling for the
exclS,ion from all school ooks of every-
thing calculated to foster a warlike spirit
Fancy what would be left of the Bible
after 1t had been subjected to this process.
1t Is book of war, and Is filed with re-
ports of battles from the time when Cain
smote his brother Abel to the time when
there was war in heaven: Michael ami
his angels fought against the dragon. and
the dragon fought with his angels" 1t is
very sad to think thai we must have war
put we fear that we shall not get rid Of ii
Dy passing resolutions even at Buda Pesth
The Paris Debats has vigorous reply
to an essay by Count Tolstoi denouncing
war.
The writer in the Debats truthfully as
serts that the ordinary seryice-in-arms of
a soldier is, taking it all in all, the most
noble and at the same time the most at
tract1ve calling in the world Like war
ltself 1t develops more than anything else
all the sentiments and practices which
tend to raise and ennoble a man and which
are commonly known by the name of yir-
tueS-Qualfties which are inherent in and
lnseparable from the profession of arms,
such declaration may sound like bold
Fezenac writes in his memoirs, Living
with soldiers you learn to recognize their
virtues; otherwise you only learn their
vices. To be worthy of the name a SOL
dier, because he is a soldier, must display
patriotism valor, loyalty. integrity, fidei-
ity, love cf duty, frugality. prudence, regu-
larity, energy, constancy, unselfishness and
self-denial The complete soldier must
be possessed of these qualities. Discipline,
enforced and conformity to rule. self-re-
srect, these are the methods and means
by which honest and obedient citizens are
formed, and the army is the political school
Were duties and rights are taught and
distinguished
Lieutenant Colonel Harry C. Egbert. 9Th
U. S. Infantry. in his article on the increase
OF the regular army in the United Serv-
ice for November, shows very clearly
the need of such increase At the close
of his article he calls the attention of those
who consider standing armies as unmixed
evils to the fact that in these times of
over-production, an army, being a body of
non-producers, affords a large market for
munitions OF war and that an army, an
nually returns to the body of the people a
number OF men. proportioned to its size,
trained to athletics, Injured to hardships
disciplined to obey lawful orders, and de-
voted to their country and its flag. Col
onel Egbert might in this connection have
called attention to the immense impetus
given to our national development by the
presidential election of 1864 were handed to
Lincoln he Immediately noted the fact
that the voting population had increased
in spite Of the war. Death must come in
some form to every member of each gen.
GRAFTON. and statistics would probably show
that the average longevity of the genera
tior which contributed on the two sides of
the line three million soldiers to the war
for the Union was not decreased by that
war. That increase in intellectual vigor,
In energy and enterprise is shown by the
records Of our national development during
the past quarter of a century. Nothing
can be said against the sad conditions of
war that every military man will not
heartily respond to, but much of the civil
Ian criticism upon war and the wisdom
Of preparation for it apparently assumes
that the condition of peace is an ideal one
There can be no peace in the true sense
without universal justice and absolute fidel-
ity on the part Of individual citizens to
the obligations of duty and honor When
and where have we had this thus far in
the history Of the world? When 1t comes
there will be no need of conventions ard
resolutions to abolish war.