Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-04-26

QlIdClOu Odu We COuL0u pldU6 Win
anything but horror what might be
done with the awful devices which
are used in warfare today. Is it any
comfort to us to know that soldier
may carry weapon which increases
his killing power hundred per cent
over what it was ten years ago; that
a new rife has been invented and is
being introduced into all of the armies
of the world which will produce hail
of from four to five hundred shots per
minute Could any thing which
would make possible an even more
destructive war than the Russia Japan
efforts to help the people were ever
made. Never has there been such
great respect for human life.
We are living in a peculiar age.
We are at the same time blessed with
peace and cursed with militarism.
This is not an age of war, yet we are
burdened by great and ever increasing
ornaments. We are still building
mammoth engines Of destruction. The
mad race for naval supremacy con-
tinues while the relative strength of
the powers remains practically the
same. In Europe millions are being
robbed of the necessities of life and
millions more are suffering the pangs
of abject poverty in order to support
this so called armed peace. For many
years Europe alone has spent on her
ornaments a billion dollars a year.
while at the present time she is spend
ing much more. France spends five
schools; Italy spends eight times as
much for her army as for her schools;
Russia spends twelve times as much.
Note the condition in our own coun
try. We are now using more than
seventy per cent of our resources
yearly for past wars and preparation
for future ones The increase in our
military appropriations during the
past eight years has exceeded the
national debt and is three times the
entire cost of the Panama Canal. The
great Russian economist Jene De Bloc
has said of militarism, 1t means
slow destruction in the times of peace.
or swift destruction in the time of
war. -
But why this expenditure in
time of peace, the public asks Our
military friends reply that it is neces.
sary to prevent worse conditions. They
point warning finger at the military
preparations which some other nation
is making and tell us what nation
might do should she choose to attack
us. Peace they say is secured only by
war or make possible the telegram
which was flashed around the world
one beautiful May morning three
years ago that Admiral Togo had sunk
seventeen, Russian battleships, and
sent eight thousand men to a watery
grave; could anything which would
make such things possible strengthen
the bonds of friendship among the
nations. Are we not departing from
the standards of civilization when we
fisk human lives and squander vast
fortunes in something that may be
destroyed in a seconds time? Shall
we turn the teaching of civilization
to no accounts
These are the conditions that mill
tarism has brought to US, but still we
are spending two billion dollar year
to continue it and are approaching
bankruptcy. And yet at the best,
militarism is only. and doubtfully,
preventative of war. For while we
have ornaments war will always be
possible. The world needs cure
for war. Is it right that we should
ruin ourselves and make war debts
and national poverty our legacy to
coming generations just for tempo
rarY immunity from war? Cannot
some plan be suggested which will
secure universal peace and relieve us
from this curse of militarism 2 Can
not some substitute for the settlement
of disputes but warfare, be found
May we not advance with civilization
instead of working against it Yes,
there is a remedy And it is not
preventative of war but an absolute
cure. 1t is that all nations shall be
united into league or federation to
establish international peace in order
that this curse of the nation. mill
tarism, may be abolished from the face
of the earth. The following methods
shall be used.
l. Law shall be substituted for
war.
2. An honorable and disinterested
court shall be established, whose duty
it shall be to decide 1mpartially all
international disputes
3. Neutrality shall be established
between all countries.