The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-05-21
UNIVERSAL PEACE.

As the world grows older and the people of the
different nations come to know each other better.
as the means Of transportation and the modes of
communication are perfected, the idea of war has
grown more and more repugnant General William
T. Sherman Is reported to have given expression to
the sentiment that "War is hell ~ and if there i;
an approximation of the internal regions to be had
on this EARTH certainly furnishes il. War +,
destructive and what is destructive is contrary 70
enlightened opinion to what is right But It
is not conceivable that the nations will put aside
war preparedness for some time to come. Each ma
ton and each people is just little suspicious Of
the other, and they will continue to make swords
Of the best material and if there is any metal left
they will make the plowshares of it, The day when
all the nations are going to beat their swords into
plowshares is still some time In the future.
But the progress of the idea of universal peace is
gratifying to its advocates Only last month at
Washington the temple of peace was dedicated the
immediate significance of which is an expression Of
the growth of the idea tending toward peace in the
Americas. On the same day the dedication Of
the temple of peace, Colonel Roosevelt was visited
in France by deputaton of peace advocates, in the
interest of third peace conference at The Hague
to which cause Mr.. Roosevelt, as private citizen
pledged his support
The principle Of arbitration has grown wonder
fully since the first conference at The Hague and
it has at least attained to equal responsibility with
a means of settling international differences
The first conference at The Hague was beset with
many difficulties, so many old ideas which had
held almost from the beginning of civilization that
they could not be uprooted that little of practical
benefit accomplished. But notwithstanding the
seorn with which some of the proceedings of that
conference were received, that meeting was held
in the interests of universal peace indicated that
is practical to settle international differences in
better way than Staying the citizens of the dsput-
ants the field of battle.
The second peace conference accomplished it,
tie more 1t at last had given the movement sub
stantiaity that could not be laughed out of COURT
it had grown respectable to advocate arbitration.
The sentiment against war grew as rapidly as the
sentiment in favor of arbitration. And the two
timents continue to grow That growth was indi-
Gated by the peace meeting at the tabernacle last
Sunday. And it is worldwide based on high ideals
and sordid commercial reasons The idealistie part
of this combination is the hardest to GAIN but the
commercial side is demonstrable by figures The
gigantic cost Of war preparedness, Of maintaining
navies, cost which is met by taxation, and which
Is of the prime factors in the high cost Of ly
ing of the present is we'll recognized And the peo
pie who pay the bills do not want war. They have
loftier IDEAL better standard by which to meas
ure their ambitions. The glory of war does not
compensate for the desolation Of the homes and the
tragedies which accompany it. The peace movement
is based high ideal, and if it is yet in its
swaddling clothes, that the idea is abroad in the
world, and that meetings like that of last Sunday
can be held incentive to work toward the ac-
complishment of the great hope that guides US to
our destiny.