New-York tribune., 1909-03-15
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
rs CHRISTIANITY A FAILURE?
Real Crux to Abolish War, Says DR.. Il.
Pereira Mendes.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

Up a much larger question than the rightness CT
wrongness OF my suggestions. which you 50 cour-
teously printed. concerning the return Of the great
American feet as an exposition OF the rule Of
might and the doctrine Of tooth and claw. thank
you indeed for. your words Of appreciation, but
your frank words OF disapproval impel me TO place
this new position before you, Your editorial makes
two presentations
First-That some cases for which arbitration
would be demanded would be not merely awkward
but perhaps intoIerable 70 one OF the nations con-
ceTned And you say: Yet if one refused TO sub
nit TO any decree of the court however oppressive,
all the rest Of the world would Immediately lnfiict
upon Il the very trea trnent which, when applied on
q small scale TO individuals families or communi-
ties. Is by general consent regarded as abomnably
brutal and inhuman."
Surely II would be just 10 provide "a statute OF
limitations Just certain debts lapse legally after
n certain time such international differences as
the one you cite austria versus Switzerland, IN
Gessler's time. and differences Of times by no
means remote. would be ruled out of court I
agree with you that the boycott is "abomnably
brutal and inhuman' but war is more than
'abominably brutal and inhuman" Neither you
nor I can find adjectives adverbs strong enough
Second Your more serious objection is contained
in your last paragraph, in which indicate that
the realization of universal peace is an impos-
sihity, unless all nations become in substance a
single nation. It is not at all impossible that this
may come about. Fifteen hundred years ago. in
little England. Ioegria in the southwest could war
with the Jutes and SsxOns in the southeast While
the men Of Cumbrense. in the northwest, could war
with the men of Deifyer. in the northeast. About
a thousand years ago there was heptarchy in
little England. The seven states were mutually
hostile until Cs2S 500 Egbert became supreme
Emperor Of the Island of Britain as Palgrave OK
presses it, and moulded the seven Kingdoms into
England
In 1888 Wales was united to England and has re-
mained so to this day. In 1895 Scotland was first
united, and in 1893 it finally united to England,
and has remained since In l165 the Isle OF
Man was united. In 1900 ireland united And
within the last hundred years England's outlying
provinces-India, South Africa Canada and the
great Australian states-have become more united
than ever. Now they all form one great empire.
Similarly. France at one time contained more
than forty different natonalities or clans And
how Germany and Italy have been formed out Of a
number of kingdoms Is known 10 every one ] do
not however. wish 20 press this point The passing
centuries and the Increasing methods Of communi-
cation. the spread of literature the power Of fine
arts and Of commerce, the ever increasing ties re-
sultins from interuarriaEe. all these things will in
time eTace divisions Of nations. divisions which are
in truth artificial the divisions between
the forty y-odd Sovereign states Of the one nation
called United States or America. II the United
States has contributed anything already IN its
young history the welIbeing Of the world it Is its
demonstration that separate states can remain
separate and stnl be united under one ruler. That
is ali that We Jews look for-alI nations To be
serarate unless II they choose 10 he artificial,
but 10 he under one ruler and that ruler God,
whose prime minister is Reverence. whose minister
FOR foreign affairs is Righteousness and whose
minister for the interior Is Responsibility for other
peoples webeing and happiness. These are our
three RS What Jews have FOR eges called the
establishment Of the kingdom OF God on earth is
here indicated And the idea started by the
Prophets Isaiah and Micah. when they proposed
that nations should submit their dlsagreernen's 70
arbitration that nation shall not lft up sword
against nation. neither shah they learn wa any
more"
But here is my chief contention. Does not your
editorial mean that religion and especially Chris
tfantv since the great modern nations are Chris
tians failure II Christianity which is nothing
II Il is not the religion Of peace earth and good
will 10 man IS not able to bring about that for
which il stands either 81 is failure or else II Is
rsinterpreted II il is mIsinterpreted, why are not
its ministers and leaders strong enough 10 interpret
it correctly
The real crux is this That christianity Of to-
DAY IS the Old original Christianity II IS not
Jesussm, FOR it IS not the religion which Jesus
preached How effort once was msde 10 carry
back whaf was called Christianity nearer 90 the
teachings and example of Jesus with the result
known in human history the great Reformation.
you and your readers know. But is It not time To
carry back yet further TO the ideals 90 Jesus and
make Christianity the religion which He personally
preached and which He personally practisedo
Your point that the differences ~ nations must
always continue is not well taken. in my humble
opinion. At this very moment an invitation has
been placed my hands for the International
Peace Festival the 2ftb Of this month The
patrons include the President Of this country
and the ambassadors. envoys and plenipotentiaries
Of no less than twelve great nations OF to-day.
Shall this movement he encouraged. shall
say n is all hopeless and helpless. that
ns tions will be united and that every re
lIEfon. not excepting Christianity, IS a failure
I say that time for the press and for the
pulpit the universities and the public schools. the
colleges and the Institutes. to unite In the fight
against the crime. cost and curse Of war, that "A
boycott OF nation that will not submit TO arbi-
tration. matter how abomiua bly, brutal and
irhunan" boycott may be. is preferable to the
''abomnably brutal and inhUman' crime. cost and
curse Of
Your editorial. therefore, "One Nation or Many
means really is Christianity Failure Restore
II 10 its principles of peace and good Will and
the abolition OF respect for the direct com
mand 81 God. world consciousness Of the three
R's-Reverence. Righteousness and Responsibility
will result. worth your trying
That viii mean the establishment of Gods king
dom on earth ] believe in that kingdom.
H. PEREIRA MENDES.
Minister Spanish and Portuguese Congregation.
New York. March l3, 1903
HAMBURG AMERICAN LINES EARNINGS.