The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-17
PASTOR TALKS OF PEACE
REV. j. a. MILBURN FAVORs THE
DISARMAMENT OF NATIONS.
His Sermon Based on the Proposition
of Russia's EmperOr-Services
at Roberts Park.


the topic, THE Disarmament of Nations"
He took his text from Isaiah H. 4: And
they shall beat their swords into plow-
shares and their spears into pruning
hooks The pastor said in part:
"A few weeks ago the Emperor of all the
Russias and the Car of Poland startled
the world with his invitation to the powers
OF me earth TO convene together In order
70 devise ways and means for the disarma-
ment or the nations. This proposal is
unique in history, it has no analogue; no
attitude of any statesman in any age APP
proaches 1t in audacity, in grandeur and no.
bility OF conception. Many rulers hitherto
nave prayed for and striven for universal
peace honestly and conscientiously; but no
one before the present Emperor of Russia
mas ever dared to take step logically lead
ing to this desired result And especially
significant is this proposal when we remem-
Der that it comes from the most martial
power on this earth to-day.
Whatever the motives of the Emperor
or Russia may be, whether they be honest
or dishonest, whether transparent or con-
tanning within himself some occult sinister
meaning. still the very grandeur, sublimi-
ty and humanity of the movement toward
a universal disarmament is it's sufficient
vindication. No step that man could take.
no step that the nations of the world could
take. would or could be more fruitful of
blessed and beneficial results; would or
could conduce more to the worlds serenity
ana happiness. 1t would give an immense
impetus to the industrial advancement of
the world. and also take a heavy and fret
full burden off the back of toll. Whatever
may be our views touching the necessity
and expediency of a large war establish
ment, there is one thing l am sure about
which we are ali agreed-we all know that
such an establishment is maintained at
vast cost. at terrible and deplorable ex-
pense. 1t diverts capital from well doing
to i'll doing. from beneficent construction
to maleficent destruction; 1t involves the
outlay by every nation, rich or poor, wheth-
er that nation be, like England. favored
with full Golfers. or, like Spain, on the
lay of millions upon millions of money an
nually in ways that do not add to but that
subtract from the well being of humanity.
It makes thousands of able-bodied men nom
fruitful consumers and not creators, and
the huge injustice of it all is that labor
ultimately pays the bill. Hence il is clear
that any movement toward disarmament
would be of great economic benefit to hui
mainly. 1t would mean the return of vast
capital to its true uses, to uses of benefi-
cence. to uses that minister to the comfort
and the pleasure of men and women; it
would also mean the return of millions upon
millions of able-abodled men to the fielus
the mines. the forests the factories, the
cities and so eventuate in an enormous
increment of the energy of productive labor
and hence in larger wealth, in wIuer COM
fort and in more general happiness.
PROBLEM OF SOCIAL CONDITIONS.
Again, disarmament would be an i'm
measurable good in that it would tend to-
ward more rapid progress in the working
of the problem of social we'll being. Gov
eminent exists as / understand it, primari-
ly and Immediately TO maintain or
der, to restrain and check evil
tendencies, to repress vice and
crime; it exists for the purpose of giving
each individual free field in which to work
Gut his personal destiny, as prohibitive
force to keep the several units of society
from clashing and interfering with one an
other his is the original, primitive func-
ton of government but remotely and ulti-
matelV of M
bier purpose of making the general condi-
lions, of life, as just and as equitable as
possible, to make happiness as universal as
possible, and to give to every faithful, indus
trious citizen the largest opportunity to
live the largest life
Further. such a universal disarmament
of the nations would make vastly for the
intellectual and aesthetic enrichment of the
world life. The beautiful grows and pros
pers only under fair skies and swathed
in genial lyric element. England's mind
therefore gives utterance TO nothing beau
tiful on that day; Americas mind is not
beautiful on the day of Gettysburg and
therefore gives no expression to the beauti-
full on that most memorable of days Strife
produces strife, anger produces anger, peace
only produces the peaceful, and only calm
beautiful, soothing and uplifting.
The beauty that / have in mind is the
beauty Of beautiful city, the beauty Of
libraries. the beauty of beautiful public
buildings, the beauty OF beautiful homes
the beauty of beautiful lives-beautiful lives
made possible to all who love the beautiful
rather than the unbeautiful. And ] say
that even a small part of the wealth con-
served saved from uses of destruction, and
made to minister to this noble end would
make life q new thing for the great major
ity of men and women who now live or who
are yet to live upon this earth. And again
] observe that the disarmament of the ma
lions would be a priceless good in that it
would tend to the establishment of a sound,
nd N1rse- ..a..4s,
upon this earth-certainly a desideratum, a
thing to be prayed for and striven after,
If not by the world at least by those who
the church of Christ.
And all those people who believe in Chris
tianity as a reality, who believe in Christ's
word and EeleVe that word to be genuine
and adaptable to the needs and exigencies
not only of the individual. but of national
life, who believe that mans temporal as
we'll as eternal good is bound up in Christ S
theory of life, who believe that there has
been a kingdom of heaven established upon
this earth, and who believe that this king
dom is not the kingdom of force and con-
tlict. but a kingdom OF righteousness. love,
peace and joy-all these. | say. who be-
lieve even in the feeblest, dimmest way in
Christ and the Christian civilization should
do all in their power 10 make this glorious
proposal of world disarmament a glorious
fact, a fact so glorious that it will illumine
with surprising splendor the whole century
in which we live and make it the most
notable of all the centuries for its benev-
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY
Nov, / am well aware there are many
and grave difficulties in the way of this
tremendous problem of the disarmament of
the nations-diffculties that will require
much fine diplomacy and strategic states
manship to overcome and dissipate. There
is, first. the difficulty of what in diplomatic
Technology is called the status quo. The
status quo translated into plain English
simply means conditions as they now are
The difficulty of the status quo is the dis
satisfaction of the nations OF the world with
the present actual adjustments of territory
and with the present actual divisions that
exist of the prizes of empire. AS matter
of fact there is no European nation of i'm
portance that is satisfied with what it now
has, and that is not looking for some adj
ditiOn to be made, either TO its present ter
ritory or to its present rights. Russia is
looking eagerly towards southern port: it
wants Constantinople, 1t wants TO find an
outlet into the Mediterranean, and il will
not be satisfied, we are assured. until it
finds this outlet. France looks longingly
towards AlSace and Lorraine; and it will not
be satisfied until il has won Alsace and
Lorraine back again. 1t has also certain
unsettled interests in Africa that are apt
TO bring II in conflict at any time with other
powers. Germany is insistent upon retain
ing Alsace and Lorraine, and also has a
strong passion in these latter days towards
colonial expansion; it is intent upon the ac-
QUESTION OF some part of Asia Minor; il is
getting to be intensely conscious of the ap-
petite for territory; il wants greater room
in which to stretch its mighty energies a
England as We know, is complicated in
almost every part of the world She has
her complications in India. her compiled
tions in Africa, her complications i'm Europe
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