Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-07-01
Oscar John Iuhhs.

Oscar John Tubbs of WatervilIe
gave an interesting essay on the The
Friendship of Nations"
ol the western coast of EurOne
"lthih single nights journey from
''i'st "i inc European capitals, and
readily accessible by steam from the
countries of the orient and occident
hes the beautiful city of The Hague
The political center of the Netherlands
whose population is 18th in the family
OF nations, and with a population of it's
own that makes it the 1929 of the
worlds cities, The Hague was deemed
10 be free from many of the social and
pohtlcal influences which dominate the
III portant cities of the great powers.
for THESE reasons, and because of it's
comforts, cleanliness, beauty, and good
government The Hague was selected
ny Russia and accepted by the other
nations as the meeting place of the
TWO most important international gath
erings in the worlds history.
The two conferences which have
mus far assembled We're unread of a.
dozen years ago, and their work and
results cannot be wholly appreciated
at the present short distance from
them. Already, however, some great
IactS stand out in connection with
them and one Of the most important of
these Will briefly refer to. The enor-
nous increase of armament on land
ana sea within the last dozen years, be-
cause of their increasing burden on the
industry of the people in many lands,
and because of their increasing men
ace f0 irtprnat h.,
a problem of burning and world wide
Importance. This problem was not
solved by either conference but both
OF them emphasized with impressive ell
oquence its critical Importance and
urged upon the governments a through
study of its conditions and solutions.
SO that this great obstacle may be re-
moved from the path of those peace
making institutions which the confer
ences established
THE question now arises how can
we avoid war? The military men are
agreed in declaring, as Washington did
in his day, that the best security
against war is preparation for war, and
experience would seem to show that
they are right. The comparative pro-
longation of the periods of peace has
been comtemporaneous with the adop-
ton of the ideas of universal training.
Military training, by no means, i'm
plies war and a comparison of the eX-
periences of the past century with
th"se of the century preceding it would
Indicate that it is the most effective
means Of controlling the popular pas
sonS that lead to war. OF all men,
those whose military training teaches
them what war means are those most
averse to war and those most compe-
tant to determine how it can best be
avoided
"Whats9 rave just related offers no
excuse for war. nor is it intended to
justify war, but simply to explain the
facts concerning war and to show the
wisdom of following the guidance of
those trained in the knowledge of. the
causes and consequences of war in the
effort to prevent the deadly strife
between nations which grows more
and more colossal in it's proper
tons, more and more terrible in
it's consequences. War would not
cease if every great army We're
disbandcd today, if every sword
was beaten into a plowshare and every
spear into a pruning hook. 1t will
end only when the struggle Of indiVid
:lal and national selfishness, provoking
upon to settle. are at an end