The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1907-08-01
WHAT WAR WOULD MEAN.

llVeS tnat would De SdcflIlceu' i
would cost Japan perhaps hal
billion, about half as much as thu
United States, because Japan could
fight cheaper than we. In the enc
Japan would be whipped.
We have no question of doub
about the final result although there
is no question about the ability OF
the Japanese as fighters. The rea
son why we would eventually whiE
Japan is because there is no nation
on the face of the globe that has
anywhere near the resources Of the
United States and no people have
more pride of country when it is
once aroused. The Japs might take
the Philippine islands. They probab-
ly would, for we have only small
army there to defend them. 1t is
possible that they might even take
the Hawaiian islands, though we
hardly think so, but in the end they
would be whipped. Nevertheless
the war would be one of the most
unjustifable that was ever fought.
There is nothing that has occurred
in California or anywhere else that
would furnish a reasonable excuse
for war between two great nations
like Japan and the United States.
The threat of war however will
furnish a reason for asking the next
congress to build more great battle
ships and increasing the expenses of
the department of the navy by tens
of millions of dollars per annum.
And suppose that war actually
comes, what will be the gain? In
the end the United States
would win. There might be disas-
ter and defeat at first but in the end
we would win, but what would we
gain? Not more territory. We
have too much on that side of the
earth now. Japan would be impov-
erished, probably utterly bankrupt
and codld not pay an indemnity.
Both nations would be tremendous
losers in both lives and property.
This nation is rich. We could stand
the added burden and not feel it
much, but the Japs would be loaded
with burdens greater than they
could bear.
1t seems impossible that there
should be war. Japan will have to
begin the fight if it is begun and it
seems unbelievable that they could
nave so little sense. II
This brings to mind the seeming !
of the Hague peace con-
yress. While it meets all the great !
nations are busy building more ships, |
making more and bigger guns and
,iling up more destructive ammuni-
ion. The whole thing is wicked,
vasteful and utterly foolish. There
) hardly civilized nation or state, n
zone so far as we know, that does q
ot forbid by the most stringent [
dueling, the settlement of
II. lrrels on tn, field of honor, and .
Of n, ,tions continue to buy the most "
estruct,ye arms and build great .
eating forr, esses for the purpose of n
eng ready to hill each other. And 6
is said that it is necessary to do II
lis in order to maintain peace. We II 7,
" that so long as great nayies and u
anding armies are maintained just v
nat long will there be danger of p
airs.
Some of us have lived in frontier u,
WIS where it was common to carry "
uns. Men argued that it was nee
,sary 10 carry guns in order to pro o.
,ct themselves. As long as the
lstom of carrying guns prevailed
,ere was constant danger Of shoot is
~ scrapes, during the course of Il
hitch somebody was apt to get hurt. q q
inally public sentiment vas educa- q,
I'd to the point where tina gun tot r;
- were compelled to disarm and pr
lei. there was peace. What is true Sc
individuals is true Of nations on a =
rger scale, for states and nations ~
,e made up of individuals, and it 10
a mathematical axiom that what te
true of each of the component u
arts is true OF the whole. So long :,
the nations equip and maintain
reat armies and navies there viii
2 danger of wars. Genera! peace !
i'll never come until navies are =
,andoned and armies reduced to
hatever number may be necessary
,r general police duty to care for
lie property of the government
nd quell internal riots.