Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-18
HIS VOICE FOR PEACE
Grand Commander Richardson
Makes Plea to Masons.
OUTLINES COST OF WAR
Arbitration of National Differences
Theme of Allocution.
MEMORIAL TO WASHINGTON
MEMORIAL TO WASHINGTON
Movement Inaugurated by Alexan-
dria Lodge Commended-Trib-
ute to the Masonic Dead.

International peace and arbitration are
topics upon which Sovereign Grand Com
mander Richardson dwelIs with forceful
argument coupled with a plea for a dec
laration in its favor by the Supreme
Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scot
fish Rite. in his allocution read to that
body in secret session Monday and Just
made public.
Intelligent MaSonS cannot be dsnter-
ested witnesses" the grand commander
states. Ito the efforts that are being nut
forth by good men and women in al
most every civilized nation in favor of
the great movement for the peace and
better organization of the world, which
by some is called the commanding cause
of our age.
The Scottish Rite of Free Masonry
should be no laggard in this lauda BILE
movement, but should take and occupy
conspicuous position in it. Our fraternity
must declare itself by affirmative and
public action, as it is already aligned
by Its very nature and constitution with
the statesmen of this and other lands
with the ministers of every creed and
faith, with the magazines and other pub
licat1ons, the schools, colleges, the organ
1zatIons of workmen, banking associations
ana all peace societies in favor of this
movement, and unite in the effort to
create larger public sentiment against
war and in favor of universal peace
Because It Is Right.
Let u.s." he says. as Scottish Rite
Masons assist in making and arousing
this public opinion not simply and alone
because in the end 1t saves life, averts
the horror and wickedness of war. pre-
vents large expenditures of money and
alleviates suffering and distress in a thou
sand ways, but because il is right
Ihe great international law of peace
Is coming. And one of its chief beauties
Is 1t has no material force behind it. 1t
enforces its mandates and decisions by
the irresistible power of gentieness, the
rover OF love, mercy and Justice
Inc grand commander reviews the cost
OIL preparations made in this country for
war and war purposes in twenty wears
and says the official figures furnished
him by James c. Courts. clerk of the
House committee on appropriations, show
that the sum exceeds seven billions five
hundred millions of dollars In many in
i'm the building of costly warships that
long since have been declared out of date
and consigned to the junk heap.
If applied to objects of usefulness he
declares, these appropriations would have
built a college or university in every
county in every state in the Union and
at the same time have built school
house and maintained for an indefinite
period public school in every school
district in the United States They
would have constructed one hundred
railroad lines from the A9tlantic to the
Pacific ocean in the United States. or
have circled the globe with ten railway
lines. They would not only have made
it possible 10 give each freedman his
forty acres and a mule, but would have
enabled the extension of that benefaction
to every one of the 15,0OO,C0O voters of
the country