The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-07
I'm Tent EndeavOr.


In Tent Endeavor the principal address of
the evening was by Rev. DR.. F. A. Noble, of
Chicago. His subject was "War Against
War;" In part, he said:
The question of arbitration naturally d.
vides itself into two subordinate questions.
Is arbitration desirable? To this question
there can be but one answer. If justice, or
anything like an approximation to justice.
can be secured by submitting the cases in
controversy to the honest judgment of dis
interested parties; If aggression can be
warded off and the rights of the people to
themselves or their institutions or their ter
ritory can be maintained; If freedom and
the precious opportunity of freedom can be
either held or won by this process, then the
method of arbitration must be conceded by
all well-disposed persons to be preferable
to their method Of war AS 1t is better for
quiet way than to resort TO blows or rush
into court. 50 il must be better for communi-
ties of individuals to fall back on this same
simple, natural plan.
I'm the first place, war Is an immensely
expensive method of harmonizing differ
tons. 1t is expensive in money outlay. The
thirteen years of war in which Napoleon was
engaged cost France alone 81 O00, 00O, 900. Add
to this what these wars cost England, Italy,
Austria, the German states, Russia and
other nationalities, which were more or less
involved in these terrific struggles. and the
grand total is well-nigh incomprehensible.
Suppression Of the Southern rebellion called
for an expenditure of not less than 81, 900 OO0,
900 by the United States government, while
the Confederacy put out at least 5000 OO,0Co,
or everything that was in reach, into the
wicked venture to disrupt the Union and es-
tablish a new system of civil order on the
explosive cornerstone of human slavery.
1T is expensive in human life. The Grim
can war cost 10000 lives; the Franco-Ger-
man war was at an expense of 215,Ooo lives;
our civil war called for sacrifice OF 10000
men. Within the fifty years now rounding
out to a close more than 100000 sol
diers have surrendered their lives tc the
NO Il
to be increased by those who have fallen
victims to the diseases and accidents which
are Incidental to war the o list WGuia Pe
would be like taking the State OF Michigan
and adding to 1t the State of Maine. and
then Instantly wiping out every human be-
ing-man, woman and cnlld-wltmn their
borders.
prosecution, but in the preparation, imposes
enormous burdens upon the state. and in
this way seriously hinders the material
progress and comfort of the people FIRST
of all. immense appropriations are required
to keep up standing armies. Consider for
moment what the leading nations or the old
world are paying out year by year for the
support of their military establishments.
According to the latest available statistics.
these are about the average figures for
i75OOO,OOO; France, s2000Oo.cO0: Germany.
s125. 100000; Austria, $1Oo0oo,eoo; Great Brit
ain, 500. 100000.
"in the third place. war means a large
number of the soldiers of the countries en-
gagged in war hardships and sickness and
wounds and lifelong disabilities and deaths,
and TO the friends of the soldiers consum-
ing anxiety and heartaches and binding
tears and the bitter sorrows which are as
sociated with broken plans and baff1ed
hoces.
with any sense of patriotism in their
souls, and with any appreciation of the
high courage and magnificent loyalty to
duty which leads man, II he does IL vol
UNFAIRLY. to put his life I'm peril. or TO sac
rifice his life for a cause, will never cease
TO bow reverently at the grave OF a soldier.
But each grave, no matter how humble.
stands for a death which pierced some
heart with agony and wet some face with
tears and changed the entire outlook OF
some life. perhaps of many lives on things
here and things beyond.
Here falls in the second question which
a study of the subject I'm hand forces upon
us Is arbitration practicable? Unques-
tionably arbitration Is desirable. The con-
sideration just brought forward In support
Of this view, and the many more which