New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-16
THE PATH TO PEACE
rour Nations Could Prescribe IL al"
Enforce Their Decree.

To the Editor Of The Tribune. A..
Sir. II a power could enforce upon 'ne
novers a new commandment "Inou Sma
not war" the world would march s"h"'
TO It's millennium.
Four powers could do 80.
These powers are Great Britain 'h'
rrn,,ed states. Germany and France.
Retween them they own 129 modern ua'-
tleships, So armored cruisers 30 i'rss 80
cruisers. IS second class cruisers. 4S 'hiiu
class cruisers, Is torpedo gunboats' Sii 'o'
nedo boat destroyers. Sl torpedo boats anu
las submarines.
Reside this ugly mass the navies OF the
rest of the world are a negligible quantity.
The only other naval power. Japan. wouio
he poweress to lift a finger train 'or-
pedo. fire gun. She has but IA na'''e-
ships 30 cruisers, 62 destroyers, 30 torpeuo
boats and IS submarines
The greatest thing TO do In the world To-
day would be 10 have these four powers
sign a new commandment Thou shalt not
war" More than any thunders OF Small
the potential thunders Of their hroadsldes
would enforce the law
Grim old Hobbies may have been right
WAS war. but every step in civilization has
been step away from the natural man
toward the trained man. The natural man
was born in a cave, ate uncooked loou'
wooed with club, tortured his enemy
killed his old, lived In terror, died as
dog dies. lie had to suffer wrong IN
silence or fight. If he could not right his own
wrongs. defend himself, there was none TO
help. Society began when private war was
forbidden. Then, first, the peasant had 10
submit his quarrel 10 his lord. Bit by DIT,
the noble was forced TO give up his risht
10 private war The right TO war to-day
belongs only TO kings and democracies. II
should be taken from them.
The right TO war, to levy a slaughter tax
of lives. is always and everywhere giant
wrong No matter what Injury. what IN
suit, a man has met, his nations laws Tor
bid him to make war on the inJurer or the
insulter. No nation can suffer in It's feel
ings what man or a woman can. Hence
no demand of honor calls nation 70 war,
provided another way Of redress is open.
What a nation forhds its citizens, the
right 10 make war. congress of nations
should forbid to its constituents, the ma
tions Of the world.
The Tribune should call on the world ~
stop the butchery OF men by their fellow
men: 10 stop the crushing taxation which
the blood lust brings TO use for the as
sured victories of peace, the lettering OF
life. the many millions now msused for
the dubious victories Of war and the de
struction OF life.
In 1909 the war, navy and pension appro-
priations of the United States were more
than SSs00Co,00o All other appropriations
were less than $50, Ooo, o0o And we pirate In
Four men, the Emperor Of Germany, the
King of England the presidents Of France
and America, could turn the thought Of the
world to tho path Of peace. They need
but 10 call Hague conference to create
an International high court Of Justice and
to formulate code Of three articles. The
first would reduce and regulate the world s
armies and navles. The second would regu-
late procedure. The third and greatest
commandment would be: Thou shalt not
war"
The four powers, with such others as
chose 10 join them. would pledge their
present naves as a police force TO carry
out the DEGREES Of the high court. and the
lest factor I'm the worlds growth and JOY.
ALFRED BISHOP MASON.
New York, May Is, 1911.