The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-05
leges in a systematic.

fashion. ready to furnish the best
lecturers the nation affords. we may
be confident of hearty welcome.
Suppose our distinguished publicist,
DIR. Lyman Abbott, should give ten
lectures on peace topics before one OF
our colleges. and that this course, open
to all students and the public. should
be maintained for ten years by lee
turers OF similar ability; what. think
you. would be the attitude toward
peace of the graduates of such a ia
vored college? Suppose fifty men
mad women. such as the membership
of this congress can supply. should
accept travelling lectureships. each to
twenty schools with courses of ten
lectures in every school. We would
reach one thousand schools. with ten
thousand addresses heard by not less
than n million potential leaders of the
nation. Repeat the process for a de-
cade and estimate, II you can, the ire
mendous harvest of goodwill made ef-
fcctive by this seed sowing
/ understand that already $50 coll
leGes of America have heard lectures
on tho movement for peace, and that
many of these colleges observe with
appropriate exercises our national
Peace Day. The Intercollegiate Peace
Association is also accomplishing lnud-
able results in Its oratorica1 contests.
especall among the colleges OF our
Middle West. The Cosmopolitan Clubs
of American colleges and the Cords
Frntres of European universities arc
ccmenting the bonds of international
brotherhood and teaching the world
that above all nations Is humanity"
All these undertakings work in the
right direction They begin with the
potentially powerful elements of So
ciety, and will inevitably extend out
ward and downward. They irresisti-
bly, tend to create enlightened public
sentiment. and Sir Edward Grey right
~ said in the English Parliament the
other day that public opinion must
rise to high levels before President
Tnfts welcome suggestions touching
universal arbitration could become
practicable between any two great
countries But arbitration in all mat
tcrs, even those affecting territory or
! national honor, will come as soon rs
general public opinion speaks out In
favor Of 1T. Disarmament cannot log
! ically be expected to prccede arbitrn-
ton. but will follow as natural
coroiiary the establishment OF an in
terna tional arbitral court.
a college possesses three notable adj
| vantagcs In cultivatlng that enduring
J public sentiment which, although
ment. is both powerful and ag-
= IL
/ legc will he found several hundred
| students from many different commu-
| mites. All or most Of them Will be
ut the plactic age of adolescence. After
four years of sojourn together all will
scatter moro widely than the original
! distribution of their paternal homes.
| ana they will carry literally to the
| four quarters OF the earth the ideas
| they acquired In college nails.
Let him come armed with facts and
! figures, and standing OH the firm
! ground of knowledge. make his appeal
! 10 the unsclnsh sentiments OF youth.
| Thus, It seems. may current of pub
! lie opinion he created which will soon
| be irresistible Some declare that al
J ready peace sentiment grows rapidly.
| When we think only of the Obstacles
! the national habits OF centuries and
| the vast ornaments of the present
! this seems 10 be true. But. OH the
| other hand when we consider the ac-
| cumulated fund Of human experience
> hostile to war of tho intercourse OF
| nations in trade and travel, Of the
! disregard OF boundaries wrought by
| steam and electricity. OF the mighty
! power of the press and the printed
! page, we wonder at the hardness and
| apathy of the nations to this noble
| cause. Reflection ;0nrinces us that
| while more men think than every he
| fore. nevertheless, men follow their
| leaders now much as Frenchmen fol-
| lowed Peter the Hermit. Leaders with
| hears fired by moral carnestness com
mand the fcnlty of their fellow men
| to day ms in the pnst. Such advocates
| Of peace must be found, not only in
| every great city or al every capital
| but III small towns and in country
communities, Why DO many Ameri-
| can peace societies. and spcnk par
! tic,,larly of my own state. iansuish
| and fail TO command public interest?
| because our nation docs not intend
! to wage aggressive war and fears no
invader In part yes. But, il our
! country is to fulfill her evident duty
| and TO grasp tho honorable opportu-
! nifty that Is hers, she must fcel tho
oppression that weighs heavily on old
world nations. must realize something
| OF how they are bound hand and foot
by tradition and hoary precedent. and
America must wake to action The
awakening Will como most quickly by
winning the hearts and voices OF the
high hearted youth OF our country
: gathered In the various scminarics OF