The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-21
THE WAVE OF MILITARISM.

1t is but few days, comparatively,
since the peace men seemed to have
it all their own way in the world.
There was no opposition; everyone was
talking peace. Mr. Carnegie, borne
high on the wave of the peace propa
ganda, devoted $l0,0O0,00o to the cause
of suppressing war among the nations.
Then, all at once, the spirit of conten-
tion awoke. Russia began 10 harry
China. Japan looked on with suspicion,
has one eye upon Japan and the other
upon Russia. Japan is watching both
China and Russia, and Russia is sus-
picious OF both China and Japan; and
all the great nations Of the world arc
taking notice, with n view to curbing
any great advantage to be derived
either by Russia or Japan, from the
Chinese complication.
In the meantime. the insurrection of
more or less prevalence is raging in
States began to take lively sort of
hand in it, with an explanation that
nobody could understand, of its mill
tary movements. The first outgiving
that il was merely a concentration for
military exercises was quickly aban-
doned. Then the explanation that the
activity was because Japan had moved
upon Mexico TO get n base Of naval
operations in Lower California was
sprung, and instantly denied Then it
was explained that we had interna-
tional obligations concerning Mexico
and must al once protect our own from.
tier and enforce our neutrality. This
turned out to be myth like the rest
Of it. since we are under no obligations
either to stop the shipment Of arms,
or TO prevent a crossing Of the border
by any of our citizens for any purpose
they may see fit, provided only they
do not avowcdly 90 to make war upon
Mexico.
The Philadelphia North American, on
being asked what the movement was
all about, replied in the following per
tincnt words:
We think we have the ablest OF all the
Washington correspondents We do not
depend upon any one American or foreign
news service We have well-equipped
sources OF information In every capital
OF the world. Independent Of official CEN
sorshlp. For n week. by cable, telegraph
and lopg-dlstance telephone, we have
been busy in the endeavor TO gain an
mtcligibe, substantial understanding Of
what the President OF the United States
means by his call to arms. Humllatlng
1t may be, but 1t is the simple truth that
we do not know
And that is the exact truth Nobody
knows. The explanations given by the
Government do not explain, and are
abandoned one by one. Whether it is
blunder or whether any serious de-
sign is at the bottom of it, or whether
any serious thought was given to it
before the movement was undertaken,
all this must be learned by later de-
velopments. The only thing that is
clear just now. is, that the dove of
peace seems to be shot all to pieces,
and that the world once more is on
a war contention, even while Earl Grey
is inviting President Taft TO submit a
plan of arbitration and disarmament
for all the leading military powers.
The pendulum swings first one way and
then the other. Today all is for peace,
tomorrow all may be for war But
in the meantime every one must wei.
come the declaration from Mexico,
which promises that, because Of Liman-
tour s proposals to President Diaz,
peace will come to Mexico within a
week.