The Washington herald., 1909-07-12

81. Paul MINI. July u.-Rev. Freder-
lex D. Power, pastor Of the Vermont Ave
nue. Christian Church. Washington, was
the principal speaker at tO-nights session
OF the Christian Endeavor convention.
His topic was War against war" He
said in part:
When a small boy dug up and used
as playthings bullets, cannon balls. and
old weapons on the historic field where
Washington and lafayette closed the
Revolution in their victory over Corn
wallis Later. a lad. heard the thunder
Of the guns in the first battle OF the civil
war at Big Bethel and In the first con-
hlct OF ironclads at the mouth OF the
James. and saw with delight the march
ing and countermarching Of scores
Of thousands OF troops gay with banners
and buttons. gold braid and feathers. all
the millinery Of the military. IT was a
brave sight. Then came the devastation
OF the land, the burning Of homes, the
return OF the cripples from the field. and
the wrecks from the prisons. and many.
I remember, never came back. and there
were widowed women and fatherless chill
dren and the stern struggle with pow
erty.
War Inhuman.
What know OF war leads me to brand
It as inhuman. We who say Our Fa-
thsr' should never dream OF butchering
our brothers. The work Of throwing the
resources Of nations and mighty forces Of
nature into engines Of torture and de-
struction 10 be used against creatures
OF our own flesh and blood belongs TO the
malignity Of demons. not to the spirit Of
man.
"A nation is not an abstraction. II Is
not a vague mass. It IS made I'D OF
individuals. husbands and wives. parents
and children. who love one another II
consists OF affectionate women. sweet
children, and noble men. children Of a
common Father. redeemed by a common
Saviour. heirs OF a common Inheritance
It is an aggregation OF homes. interests
and Institutions To butcher by whole
sale in organized war Is only national,
concentrated, more deliberately planned
murder even than individual assassina-
ton.
Humanity has it's claims Universal
sympathy Of man for men is an older
sentiment than Christianity. I am a
man; nothing that can affect man is in
different TO me- one said In the Roman
theater. amid deafening applause. Ma
poieon. the champion man-slayer Of the
ages who did murder on a grand scale.
in the solitude Of St. Helena had such
malignity in his heart that he left ten
thousand francs to the man who attempt
ed 70 assassinate the hero of Waterloo!
War Is inhuman. Il is beastly. 1t Is the
child OF he'll. II Is hell.
Co------ o. ~Erfst.
aA r-- -Ee-nst war Del Ise It
o. "a - Oh Thor revela- !
tion mss r7J yc- d is one |
on t e- ~ ha--r has Yet
to as CHRIST p rsr meaning |
r P be the |
alOns Is, !
as fore
toIo r1o snail Judge among the nations /
and rebuke many people, and they shall 1
beat their swords into ploWshares and |
their spears into pruning hooks; nation /
shall not lift up sword against nation: /
neither shall they learn war any more.
How far are so-called Christian na-
tions fulfilling this prophesy when busy
building DreadnOughts and assenb ting
great gunsl I have been laboring among /
a people who once delighted in war said 1
s. missionary, but since Christianity has
Rrgvatied heEe,FVarshas ceased altogether,