The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-08-04
A FIGHT AGAINST WAR.

The people OF the United States
not In the habit Of expecting any ad-
ditions to their stock of political ideas
from the countries OF South America
and yet, occasionally, something hap
pens down there that is really i'm
portant and suggestive. AS matter OF
fact, there is much more progress
general intelligence and modernism
in Latin America than most of us are
prepared TO admit. The people OF
South America keep in pretty close
touch with Europe. particularly with
France, Italy and Spain, and are very
far from being ignorant OF literature,
art, science and politics. Their culture
is, OF course, Latin and not Anglo
Saxon, as ours so largely is, and where
we look at world politics through
London spectacles they use Partisan
glasses. Notwithstanding the Spanish
origin of a majority of the people OF
South America, they look to France
rather than to Spain for intellectual
guidance. and are very well aware of
the fact that Paris, and not Madrid,
is the center from which Latin ideas
radiate.
II must have been from France that
the laboring people or the two strong
est nations in South America have de-
rived their hostility to war. For sever
al years small but active band of
French agitators have been engaged
in a propaganda against militarism
and have endeavored TO convince the
workingmen Of Europe that they have
no interest in fighting with each other,
not even in the scared name of pa
Hriotism. In fact as we have shown on
former occasions, patriotism itself has
been very roughly handled by the
agitators. That their ideas are spread
ing was made evident a few weeks
ago when war between Brazil and the
Argentine republic seemed inevitable.
At the time, the war fever was at it's
height the Brazilian labor confedera-
tion threw wet blanket on the jim
goes OF their country by issuing and
dalivay-ino o nroola ~, atinn +n 4ha A.
gentine General Workers Union, Sin
the name OF the associations repre-
centing the conscious majority of the
South American peoples" declaring
that II the politicians wanted war they
would have to do their own fighting
The Argentine laborites came back
with reply reciprocating the senti-
ment. and they went further and an
1lounced that not only would they en-
gage in a general strike, but would
precipitate an internal revolution.
The Argentine government natural
ly became angered, and when the
unions held an anti-war demonstration
In Buenos Aryes many of those who
participated in it were dubbed by the
police and number were thrown into
prison. AS a protest against such ac-
tion a general strike was ordered, to
last forty-eight hours. and the city was
completely paralyzed. 1t required
nearly week and extraordinary ef-
forts on the part OF labor officials to
secure a resumption of work. AS a
consequence OF the stand taken by the
working people OF both Brazil and the
Argentine republic the war spirit
flickered out in the two countries and
many patriots lost chance OF becom-
ing generals. to say nothing of all
the colonels that would have been
manufactured and placed on the pay
rolls for life.
A few years ago when Sweden and
Norway came to the parting Of the |
Ways. the government OF Sweden was
very much averse TO Letting Norway |
1epart - peace and threatened war 10 |
DVsvent ihe aeparstioA without