The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-13
MAKING FOR PEACE.

oOuIn- Africa mas given PROFOUND shock.
to many thousands Of men and women in
every country on the globe who expect
ed that the recent peace conference at
The Hague would be followed by the i'm
mediate Introduction Of peaceful methods
in the adjustment Of international dis
putes. Naturally the most sympathetic
and humane members of society every
where looked forward to an innediat tie
resort to arbitration in the settlement OF
disputes which would otherwise have tn
depend on strife for adjustment. Their
disappointment has been made all the
keener by the reelection that the pre-
Failing war represents the probable an
utilization of few thousand devoted ,uar
canning the prerosatives of free race,
by the most powerful empire of modern
! times.
There is after all but little real causa
Ior disappointment The progress Of
events in South Africa Is really vindt.
{ Gallon of most of the claims advanced bv
the advocates Of peace. They show what
It means to conduct war with the pre
Valllng agencies of military science at this
disposal of both the parties to it. With
the forces anything like equally matched
Il simply means mutual humiliation.
All the accepted teachings; Of military
science In the past have been oyerthrown
The army which is on the defensive DOS
sesSes under the new conditions such adj
Vahta3es as place the attacking force In
constant peril Thief frontal attack ia now
shown to be a beautiful thing for artists
more anxious to preserve their own skins
than to depict the actualities of war to
send to- their papers, but In the actual
conduct Of war 1t is merely the most OK.
peditlouS means of producing universai
slaughter among these engaged I'm if
the enemy Is never seem Ills. where
abouts: is rarely If ever known, when he
IS on the defensive. The Beers. may NET
be skilled soldiers either in the ranls and
jiie or In their leadership. but they have
taught many terrible lessons to those ho
are.
One of the most enlightened commenta-
tors on military events to be found on the
eohnnent of Europe, Nj. Jean de Bieoh,
author of THE Future of War" asives
this very vivid picture of scenes Of daily
occurrence on the battle-fe!ds of Soutir
Africa:
Several British officers affirm. that in
one battle in which they took mart fhaI,
saw only one or two Beers. the bulII ~
the enemy being absolutely invisible all
lne tlme. Whole battalions under a.
Scath hg hre manfuliy did their duty all
daY without ever being able to deter
mine whether the. enemy was north or
south of the river. Bullets whiz through
the air, ranks of men drop down like
pa plades OF grass through which the scythe
mas passed, a she'll bursts. a nerve-shat1
terlng thunder-clap deafens those whom
1t does not KILL and balls and fragments
or iron fly around in all directions. and
me explosion subsidies in means and
Sroans. All these gruesome effects seem
causeless. The situation can hardly vet
be realized; much less accurately gagged
and suitably provided for in drill hooks
Continental armies, therefore would
have been. at the very least. quite as
much at sea in South Africa as the Brit
ish forces
Inc great agencies in the production Of
results. like these are smokeless powder.
quiclt-firing. r fes. death-deaIing artillery
barbed wire defenses and field intrench-
ments. But above and beyond. all other
requirements to the successful conduct of.
war in the present day is the unlimited
possession of money. The belligenent that
will act on the defensive, and has money
enough available for all sllrposes. can
tire out the biggest force that miiitar SIN
can call into being
There never existed: any doubt in the
minds OF thoughtful students of inter-
national events that the terrible results
Inevitable in the conduct of modern war.
fare have bsen chiefly instrumental in
securing European. peace for so, long a.
. time. Nor can there be much doubt that
the certainty Of these results was. a con-
trolling factor in inducing the advisers.
of the car to urge the holding. of The.
Hague conference. Is. it too much to-
believe; then, that the struggle now pre-
vailing In. South Africa will have a de-
cis.Xe Influence in fastening the condi-
ton Of UNIVERSAL peace and the abolish
ment of war to which a few years a go
, no. one but the confirmed altruist and
visionary looked forward?=
Men like Tolstol do not pass. away.
without profoundly influencing the cur.
rents, Of lie during their sojourn on
earth. The American republic. with. It's,
traditions OF hostility to war; the pacific
craftsmanship of William E. Gladstone;
the march, of modern enlightenment and,
the. steady drawing closer and closer of,
the bonds which unite the lives of the
people Of the different nations are ALI
forces which have: worked for genera
tons. side by, side with. the advancement
in death-dealing inventions to hasten the.
era of universal peace.
Under a strict Interpretation of the
Monroe doctrine it may become necessary
to, remove. the Philippine Islands over
between, Porto Rico, and Cuba
And. now Great Britain is com nIaining