Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-03-09
WAR IS DESTINED
. TO VANISH FROM
THE EARTH
Peace Will Come, Says Noted
AnthrOpOlogist, Through
the Decay Of National
Solidarity.

New York, Marcn h.-Pruf Franz
Boas, professor OF anthropology IN
Columbia University aud scholar OF
note. believes that universal peace
viii come 20 earth, when Il does
come by tae gradual decrease in tho
number OF nations that might go 20
war against each other. The feeling
Of the solidarity OF the nation ne sees
as survival OF primitive barbarism.
In the early days Of mankind the
IN was thiniy populated; the mem
hers OF each small horde were az war
pgainst each and every member OF
every other horde. But as the social
anlts increased In size. at the same
time decreasing IN number, and ma
lions displaced tribes. war became less
FREQ lent.
Throughout the centuries, declares
Prof, Boas this process Of formation
Of larger nations ana fewer nations
has gone on coincident with the loss
ening OF the primitive feeling % spec
cihc differences between tho nations.
prof Boa's views are circulated by
tho executive committee Of the assoc
citation for international Cancellation
Extracts from his pamphlet follow.
"The most primitive form Of society
presents 10 US the picture Of contlnu-
GUS strife. The hand OF each member
OF one horde was reasod against each
member OF ali other hordes Always
on the alert 70 protect himself and
his kindred, man considered Il an act
OF high merit TO XIII the stranger.
Human inventions Improved. The
herd az hunters learned the art OF
better providing for It's needs. The
people learned how 20 store up food
and thus 10 provide for the future.
with the greater regularity OF the
food supply and q decreased frequency
of periods of starvation the number
OF members in the community increas-
ed Weaker hordes who still folow-
ca the older methods Of hunting and
food gathering were exterminated or,
lprotiting by the example Of their
Enoighbors. learned their new arts ana
also increased In numbers. Thus the
groups that felt solidarity among
themselves became larger and Oy the
determination Of small, isolated
lhordes that remained Ia more prim-
tive conditions the total number OF
groups that stood opposed TO one an
other became gradually less.
I'm the nations OF our days In which
law rules supreme we hnd the great
est numbers Of people united In polit-
Heal units that the world has seen.
! Here war IS excluded. because all
members are subject To the same law,
alepa oxesaiye stFeiqN. Ia tho eQpanqpity
that load to internal bloodshcd, have
decreased IN numbers among
those nations in which the whole
masses OF the people enjoy somewhat
8 equal advantages OF education.
= "rhus the history of mankind shows
+, US tho grand spectacle OF the group
:. ing OF man In units OF ever increasing
size that live together ia peace anc
that are ready 10 go 90 war only win
IS other groups outside % their owl
y limits. Notwithstanding all temper
arv revolutions and the shatterlng Of
larger units for the time being, tia
progress In the direction Of unifcatloI
has been 80 regular and so marke'
o that we must needs conclude that tn
o tendencies which have swayed thu
a development in the past will soveri
"a out history IN the future tn
I, practical difficulties thar seem {
stand in the way OF the formation o
stii larger units count for naugh
before the inexorable laws OF history
j. After pointing cut that nations a
4. they exist today are held togethe
- not 40 much by any fanciod blood re
latlonship or racial kinship as by com
= mon emotional ideals. Prof Boa
10 concludes:
oThus the study Of all types of pee
ple. primitive az we'll as advances
or shows two peculiar traits--the on
an the constant increase IN size 81 th
social units that believe In the sam
- ideal; the other the constant varin
es ton OF these ideals Thus we are ie
10 the important conclusion that ne
tbnr She belief is justified that 81
he modern nations represent the Target
= attairabio social units. nor the oth'
that the ideals OF the present group
" and with them the groups, VIII be pei
mancnt
Most important Of all. II we undo
he stand that the feeling Of opposition
re the stranger which accompanies u
- feeling OF solidarity Of the nation
tive survival Of the primitive feeiii
Of specinc differences, wo are orougl
clearly face 10 face with those fore
'S that will ultimately abolish waria
p- as wen as legislative conflicts botwe'
nations. that win put AN end not on
90 the Wholesale slaughter 81 tho
"a representing a distinct ideal bat az
4. prevent the passage Of laws that fAV
the members az one nation az the g
pcnse az an other members OF ma
kind"
coerrTTO CASE Will