Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-21
THE VALUE OF rEAoE.

Nineteen hundred years have passed
away since the announcement first was
made that He who was called the
Prince of peace had come to dwell
among men. For nearly nineteen CEN
turtles the message OF peace has been
rehenrsed on earth; nations have
bowed in reverent alteration while lis
tening to the story. Yet the practical
results seem to be almost nil. There
is today not a continent where mlitar-
ism does not hold sway, and the whole
earth seems to be trembling with the
heavy tread of marching armies. the
sound of cannon and the agony of hu-
man beings wounded and dying on
sanguinary battle fields. Besides prep
arations seem to be going on for wars
which in the interests involved may
Guido any on record in the annals of
mankind, The era of peace predicted
at the advent of the Son OF Man is APP
parently as far away as ever
We say apparently. For in fact the
friends of peace have made steady and
marked progress in the world all the
time and the close of this century finds
vast army ready to battle for the
establishment of permanent peace on
earth. 1t has been possible in later
years for the war lords of Europe to
reconcile the nations to the burdens
imposed upon them by the standing
armies -ly on the pretext that their
maintenance was needed for the con-
tinuation of peace. This is significant.
It marks a long step forward from the
time when the warrior was recognized
as the only member of society worthy
of honor and glory, and when whole
sale manslaughter and robbery were
considered as necessary an occupation
as hunting and fishing. The cause of
peace is gaining. and when the time
comes. change in the affairs of the
world will take place suddenly.
The question of war or peace is not
one of sentimentality merely. 1t Is
one which our practical age can read
lily grasp. The cost of Il war and of
keeping an army ready for war is
something enormous, even when the
sacrifice of life is not taken into ac-
count. A contributor to the Review
Europe during the present century have
cost over one hundred billion dollars.
Suppose, says the author. that the nine
teen American republics should during
the coming century expend that sum
on public improvements. what would be
accomplished That money would
build the Nicaragua canal; the inter-
continental railway uniting the repub-
lies OF North, Central and South Amer
lea; the Florida ship canal; improve
the Mississippi river and its principal
tributaries and protect the valley from
destructive floods; improve the ANA
zon and its tributaries; the Orinoco,
La Plata and other rivers In the vnri-
Gus republics; improve all the great
harbors of the Atlantic. Gulf and Pa
citic coasts; irrlgate the arid lands OF
the great West. and thereby quadruple
the value OF the 6O0000,OOO acres OF
public lands stil owned by the general
government; erect mitch needed new
public buildings in the capitals Of the
nineteen republics and in their great
commercial cities; build lighthouses
and life-saying stations, and inaugural,
and complete hundreds of other publ,
improvements that would give employ
ment to labor and add to the prosper.
ity and wealth of the republics,
a matter that involves such an enor
nous sum is OF public interest. TIL,
figures presented are n wcighty argu
ment for international peace and ar
bitration.