The times., 1899-04-15
The Abolition of War.

prominent diplomat Is reported aS
saying that nothing definite can come OF
the Peace Conference called by the Car
This is probably the opinion of most men
who are qualified to forecast the meet
ing. Aside from an agreement as TO the
arms and explosives that should be pro-
hibited in war, there is no question about
which the delegates can come TO terms
Besides they are not authorized TO bind
their respective governments to a policy
of disarmament or of arbitration. The
time is not propitious for the growth OF
sentiment in favor of such a policy The
utmost the conference can do is to point
out the horrors of war, its losses, ana
| the cost of maintaining great armies OF
men who are not producers, but only con-
sumers, at the expense of the industrious
and thrifty. No doubt strong argument
could be made in behalf of arbitration.
1t would be hard to show, however. that
the same results could be obtained through
disinterested arbitrators that war achieves,
and it would be harder to prove that wars
are an unmixed evil, even when the right
is not triumphant. We have advanced
so far in civilization that wars for mere
gain would not be tolerated Anything
that violates the conscience of the world
will be prohibited. 1t would not be possi-
Bile now to inaugurate and maintain the
prolonged horrors that disgraced Europe
in the past But we can judge from our
own recent experience that a war may
bring results of incalculable value to
nation, and which could not be achieved
in any other way. 1t is not merely that
peoples otherwise condemned to the op-
pressions of foreign tyranny are freed
from their yoke and blest with the guar
dianship of an enlightened and beneficent
Government that is pledged to their free
dom. for possibly this might have been
accomplished in other ways, but that war
and war alone could lure people charged
with the care of great Republic from the
idolatry of gold. War and only war could
have led to this revival of superb Amer
icanism and to a higher ideal OF life.
The time has not come for the suppress
sion of human nature. We are still so con-
stituted and our conditions of life are
such that we need the shock OF conflict
to awaken the heroic spirit. Even our
very Church songs are of battle-our
Christians who are Jealous are warriors,
and they hold forts and buckle on their
armor. Without the inspiration of war
We find no higher ideal than is represent
ed by an ambition for riches; riches not
for noble use, but for display of power
1t is easy to value life too highly. to pay
too high price in cowardice. 1t is a
poor race that holds life dearer than right
and justice. In the long run there would
be more suffering from universal peace
than from wars that have a righteous pur-
pose, such as that with Spain for the free
dom OF Cuba.
1t would be interesting to know what
We are to do when war is abolished and
the causes of disease eradcated-as they
will be-and famines banished and mans
span of life prolonged to a hundred years;
when protective inventions make fatal ac-
cidents almost impossible. and the spirit
of peace and liberation and the reforma-
ton OF criminals make the death of any
one except from old age unknown. No.
body questions the accuracy OF the rule
OF Nautilus that without death every popu-
lation doubles in quarter of century.
1t will not be long before the earth is
crowded beyond its power to sustain life
We shall have TO look TO starvation to re-
move the surplus. as it surely villa
worse fate than TO die in battle