The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-24
SOME OTHER THINGS FIRST.

We note an Eastern contemporary in
dealing with the recent National Peace
Congress in New York, states the pur-
pose of that congress in this way: eff
the men who meet this week in Ma
tional Arbitration Congress could have
their way, the. United States would
never be engaged in another war;
If that were all, and its meaning be
an aggressive war, we suppose there
would be united sentiment in this
country, active, positive, and effective
in favor of the objects of that
Congress. AS matter of fact, how
ever, that is not the object of the Con-
gress in particular; but the object is
practical one, to strip the United
States of it's army and navy and leave
it helpless before the aggressive ma
tions Of the world, precisely as China
is helpless before the rapacity of Eu-
rope, Does anyone imagine fer one mo-
ment that if China with her tremen~
dous population had been proportion
ately strong in military force on land
and On sea, as Germany is, that Russia
would for one moment have thought it
possible to push her way down below
the Amur riveri Does anyone imagine
in that case that Russia would havo
thought for one moment that her in
vasion of Manchuria was a practical
proposition? Would Germany have
supposed that the mailed fist could be
protitably employed in the ravishing of
kiao Chaus Would the French have
invaded southern ChinaS Would the
English have seized upon Wei Hal Welt
Would Italy for one moment have
brought upon herself the humiliation Of
demanding the recession Of Half Moon
bay from China and riskiDg the refusal
that she got7 Would Great Britain con-
slider the Yangtse Kiang navigable
river, practically her own preserved
Would she have declared and made war
upon China to force the Chinese to ac,
cept her opium from India7 Would
she have supposed that it would be
safe to occupy the island off Canton
and erect there the great naval port of
Hong Hong, which IS almost the great.
est shipping port in the world?
China has been-the examplar among
the nations for peace, All that she has
wanted at any time was to be let alone
The military profession has been looked
down upon in China and the soldier is
considered of low caste, not worthy of
hninn ~ q
the merchants, much less among the
literati or oficialdom In China the
world may see the perfect fruit, flower
and development of the peace idea. and
disarmament carried to its ultimate re-
suits.
Whenever there is proposition to
mako the United States army any more
effective, or to add to the United States
navy, that proposition has the opposi-
tion Of the peace advocates-this with
out regard as to whether the other ma
tlons are disarming or increasing their
armaments. 1t is well known that Ger
many is increasing both her army and
her navy; it is known that Germany is
an aggressive power, apparently Just
waking up to the possibilities of con-
quest and dominance that may result
from united Germany through the
effectiveness in fighting qualities and
perfection of organization OF her mill
tary forces, There is not the least sign
that Germany is giving way to any
proposition for disarmament. or even
for the restriction OF armies and ma
vies; on the contrary, the German am.
bition under the fostering and power
full energy OF the Kaiser, is always to-
ward greater effectiveness in the
army and the navy, In fact, il was the
Kaiser, almost single e-handed, that has