Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-06-03
ENDING WAR.

and statesmen the world overflow to
end war. How shall we proceed to bring
about the condition that every body be-
lieves ought to exist; an era Of peace
among nations of the earth? How shall
we check the present tremendous ruinous
race in ornaments between the great
powers3 How limit the size Of armies
and navies to reasonable proportions. in
keeping with real needs. How reduce
the prospect OF war to q minimum, or
Danish it entirely? The speaker took
strong ground in deprecatlng war. He
might have gone even further and been
followed with assent BY those who could
not altogether endorse his conclusions.
The main question is not the one of war
itself, but how to deal with the situation
that exists.
1t is quite true that war is the worlds
greatest evil and that about everybody
agrees to that view. It is equally true
that the present wild scramble among
powers to strengthen their ornaments is
crippling all of them and threatening
some with bankruptcy. At hrst thought,
too, it seems utterly inconsistent with the
settled conviction Of the civilized world
that war ought to be ended. We talk
beautifully of peace in one breath, and
the next we shout the praises OF warriors.
acclaim heroes of the battlefield and vote
millions for bigger navies and stronger
armies. But is it not the condition that
exists, rather than the mere abstract
theme, that we act upon? And in so do
ing, is not cur apparent inconsistency
justified
The lesson Of all history, even down to
the present, teaches that. theorize as we
may, deprecate as we must, armed con-
fiict between nations occasionally comes.
Governments and people clash. The
rights of one are regarded as assailed; the
interests Of the other. Peaceful methods
OF settlement prove ineffective. Then,
il the issue is of great or vital moment,
the only recourse up to the present has
been war. Granted that the advance in
civilization, and q thousand contribu-
tory causes, has lessened the danger ma
terially in recent years, nobody can deny
that it still exists and haunts the minds
OF those who, anxious to Danish it. still
ind it necessary to prepare for it.
Nobody can propose q plsn-much less
give assurance of its effectiveness-that
shall forever remove the possibility of
war. The resort to arbitration, so fire.
quentIy adopted, is extremely gratifying,
and points the way for further Iessening
OF the liability OF war, but in and of
itself it gives no assurance OF complete
and indefinite peace. 1t requires the
assent Of both the parties in dispute TO
bring about arbitration, and in extreme
cases this cannot always be had, for vari-
Gus reasons. There is no central, domi-
mating force to compel two nations at
odds to submit their cause to arbitration,
and until there is it is futile to regard
the question solved. Governments may
agree to arbitrate their differences with
other countries, but they always reserve
matters Of national honor or wiIfuI en-
eroaehment. and also the right to deter
mine what such matters are. No nation,
as NJ present constituted, even where the
advocates OF arbitration are the most
numerous, would care or dare to cast
its fortunes and its future into the
scales of any small tribunal OF men
for determination, when an adverse
award might mean the. bIotting out Of
that nation. Highly as the civilized
world regards the blessing of peace, it
prizes national existence and national
honor above it, and will fight, if neces-
sary, to maintain ii.
This is the condition, and the only rea-
sonable, practical way to handle it is to |
prepare for the possible contingency OF
war in the most effective way. Unfor- |
tunately, the enginery and organization
OF modern warfare is such that we can
not meet a sudden crisis unprepared. II
we are to have regular, trained army,
we must spend years in training it and
supplying it. II we must have battle |
ships, we must build them long in adj |
vance, as it cannot be done on the spur of
the moment. II we are to prepare at all, |
we must do it at least as effectively as the
nations with which we are likely to
clash. This is what leads to the keen ri
valry of the present and its extent may
well cause alarm. 1t is race OF purses,
and the longest one will win.
We do not believe that the existence of
the great ornaments themselves increases
the prospect of war-rather the contrary. /
A lad known to be handy with his fists
will not usually encounter so much ag-
erosion as weakline. $40 perpetuate /
peace, prepare for war" was the wise
counsel of George Washington, and,
much as we may lament, it is not yet pos
sible to disregard it without inviting
danger.