The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-22

~ ERTAIN writer's have taken occa-
W. sion more than once to refer to
- humanity in war. They argue
that since nations Of the world have made
such progress they should learn to en-
ploy humane methods In their fighting.
The fact is that there is no humanity In
war and never will be. War is essen
TALLY brutal and a relic of barbarous ages
that the world has not yet outlived It is
possible to bemore dlabolieal on some oe-
casions than on others, but SO long as
men go out with the determination to
slay or be slain, 1t is almost ludicrous to
speak of war and humaneness in the
same breath. It is true that most civil
liked nations nowadays refrain from mutt
lating the corpses of their victims and
promises made by either side or kept with
more or less good faith, but so long as
there is war 1t will remain convincing
witness that man is yet brute at heart
and stands ready to fly at the throat of his
brother when sufficient provocation is Of
fered.
The punctiliousness praeticed by more
civilized nations nowadays in conducting
their wars is merely a veneer that has
been accumulated by time, for truce is
no more binding today than it was when
our forefathers were savages, and in fact
there was perhaps more honesty among
the nations and tribes of the early ages
than exists among the powers of today.
when everything is sacrificed to expedi-
ency. But perhaps 1t is a waste of time
to speak of brutality In modern battles.
SO long as a country can be conquered
with less fatalities than are recorded in an
American railway accident and ar mics are
able to fight valiantly at a distance of
two miles 1t Is hardly probable that we
VIII ever again descend to the brutalties
that marked hand to hand combats in the
old times Modern war is scientific af-
fording opportunities for more diplo-
matte explanations than battles and more
paper victories than fatalities
The women of the Hull house club of
Chicago have started a reform movement
which is directed against men who swear
while hangings to straps in street cars.
While the Chicago crusaders have a
task before them that is truly herculean,
not to say impossible, they deserve great
credit for their courage in the undertake
ing. OF course as long as there are men.
trolley cars that are crowded and trolley
car straps there Will be soto voice pro-
family. No true woman would desire to
be rid of the first. crowds seem to be fix
lures, and we certainly could not do with
out trolley cars. The question that should
be considered is how to remove the temp
tation to swear. The Hull house club
should get at the root of the matter at
the start. Instead of declaring war on
men who swear they should declare war
on the practice of crowding cars until
men are forced to hang to straps. Few
men indulge In profanity for a pastime,
and 1t has been remarked often before
that the men who swear for a purpose
are usually those who swear most sue
cesfully. When that happy day arrives
on which every passenger will be given a
seat on the cars and crowding will be no
more-then and not until then, will male
passengers cease their profanity. After
that time they will restrain themselves