The Washington herald., 1911-01-29
LABOR'S DEMAND FOR PEACE.
Anxious to Abolish
Settling Of Disputes by War.


| aatiR Of LAtOr)
Quite apart from the altruistic and
humane sentiments which the working
men share with others in the EFFORT to
abolish the arbitrament of information
disputes by resort to war. the working
men recognize that. though others may
fall. the brunt of war is borne by them.
not only upon the field of battle itself.
but in bearing the burdens which war
| thereafter entails.
OF all the people who suffer from war;
the toilers are most intensely interested
| They are the great burden bearers Of
| its resultant horrors and Sufferings. 1t
| is. therefore. not difficult to discern why
| they have from their first gatherings.
| and at almost every gathering there
| after, committed themselves unalterably
| and vitally to the abolition of war. and.
| through duly constituted international
| court of arbitration. the adjudication OF
| all international contentious which can
| not be settled through the ordinary chan
nels of Cancellation and diplomacy.
esWar is the practice of tho most con-
| summate skill in the art of destruction
! destruction of human life and human
| product Peace affords the opportunity
| to develop the best that is in man. both
productive and constructive. 1t is the
! noblcst attribute of mans duty to man
! the world over.
| 1t is a traversty upon intelligence to
assert thai men trained in the art Of and
| organized for war and destruction make
! for peace. incidentally, in every Occu-
| patton or profession an Individual may
: see the wrong that NAV be in II and pro-
I test against he tend .rcy. but the men
| who have given either their whole lives
or many years thereof to the study of
the art of war must be expected to hope
and work and bend every effort for the
creation OF an opportunity by which they
can bring their art and profession into
practice. II is as unthnkabe for fnan-
cier; To long exist without money. doc
tors without patients. lawyers without
clients. wagc-carners without work, as
soldiers without war.
II We hope to reach the time when wars
among the nations shall be more. its
cOnSunmatiOn and the efforts toward its
attainment must be made. not 10y those
who are trained in the profession of the
soldier. nor by those who bind their
faith to his influence for peace. but by
the men Who love peace for the sake OF
peace. and for the sake of humanity
The building by Great Britain of her
first DrcadnouSht I regarded as the mon
umen al bIundcr OF this generation. Eng
land has been known for many genera
tions as ''rertidious Albion" Her power
side by side with tho growing intelli-
gene" of the people Of our country, the
people of England. as reflected in her
ministry and government. took on a more
humane view of power-to possess power
and to use il gently: and her progress
and influence. side by side with the pro-
gross and influence of the people and
the government of the United States for
universal peace. permeate the nations of
the earth. II was the building of the first
Dreadnought that set the world by the ,
ears again to consider what could and
should be done by each nation in order
to build DrcadnoughtS for themselves.
And now We do not know which country
will build more drcadnouShts. There is
much for people. for the peace and the
safety of the peoples of the countries OF
the world, to dread from these dread
noughts-
We want peace as a substitute for war
and in the last analysis. arbitration to
determine the justice and the right be-
tween nations. In addition to the i'm
mediate results of war (wholesale kill |
ing) there is one element to which sell !
dom any attention is given. War is an |
interruption of the natural progress of
the people in attending to their own well !
fare. 1t is an interruption of the orderly |
development of the spirit of unSelfSh |
service to our fellows. II is an inter- |
and good fellowship and good will. Every |
war that has come upon the people of |
the nations has retarded the spirit of !
progress and kindness.
Instead of the enormous expenditure for |
arsenals and armorieS, battle ships and |
navy yards. we would have them devoted !
Co schoolrOomS. colleges. and uniTer-
sites: to university extensions. manual /
training and technology: to make parks
NyTnllndS
places: to weed out misery. and poverty.
and stamp out their ill-begotten child,
the great white plague which is ravag
ing SO many of the masses of our people.
We would have our people taught the
arts and sciences. to be Of service, to
teach them love and good will. the love
of the good. the true, the beautiful. and
the useful.
Were half the power that fills the world with terror
We're half the wealth bestowed camps and court
Given to redeem the human mind from error.
There were no n'd of arsenals and forts
While it may not be a practical prop
osition to ask for immediate disarma-
ment of an countries. the time and the
intelligence Of our people surely demand
that the extraordinary increase in the
armed naval and military forces be limit
ed and restricted rather than expanded
and extended. We cannot continue to
increase the enormous burden and ex-
pense We must call a halt some time.
Why not now?
We welcome the establishment of the
Court at The Hague, and en-
tertained the hope that its benign infiu-
ences may be extended and make for
universal peace. We recognize that in
the last analysis, and in order to pre-
vent any reaction that may lead to
greater and more repeated wars and
the success for International
peace by arbitration must come from
higher intelligence and better concep-
ton Of the sacredness of human life.
In the broad domain of human activity
there is no force SO potent and which
will be so powerful to establish and MAIN
tain international peace and human bro
therhood as the determination Of the
workers of the world in the international
IA abor movement. Ii
Labor sincerely declares that the time
must come, and come soon when the
world will recognize that peace is as es- [
sential to the full development of indus
Try. to commercial and civilized life as
s air to human life. II
In all civilized countries there is an {
earnest effort afoot among the people !
or rational development along evolution
lry lines to solve the material, political,
moral, and social problems confronting {
hem. These must no longer be retarded {
,r interrupted by brutal wars-wars 8
which regard the white flag Of purity !