The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-02-24

topic, War not Inevitable and 10
illustrate it from the history Of our
own country
At the very threshold OF the con
sideration of such subject the ques
ton present itself II is reasonable
to expect peace among the nations
of the earth, and is it practicable to
maintain such peace? | fear that the
prevailing answer to these questions
would be in the negative. Among
even the most enlightened and Chris
tan nations is there not a predomin-
ant sentiment that war is not only
inevitable, but that sometimes it Is
necessary?
The substitute for or preventive of
war, arbitration, is held to be merely
a method Of adjusting minor inter
national differences. and it is con-
tended that political questions involv-
ing national policy, honor, or territory
should not be relegated to a tribunal
however exalted, but that in the ex-
IRENE resort they must be determined
by the arbitrament of war.
Rsides, there are many who claim
/ that war is not an unmixed evil; that
/ it stimulates patriotism; that it makes
men more virile; that it reduces a
redundant population; that it is a
healthy stimulus among nations; that
decay and disintegrat'n are the fate
of nations when do not maintain
state of preparedness for war,
Writers Of the history of nations,
the chroniclers of wars, and most
! statesmen are inclined to take one
or more of the foregoing pessimistic
views of the relations of states to each
other. An Englishman one of the
most intelligent writer's on questions
/ of the Far East, the recent storm
center of war, in late work on The
/ Coming Struggle in Eastern Asia"
uses this language: The steriliZa-
tion begotten of long peace is as
much the nemesis of a nation as the
vainglory of a Napoleon who threw
himself to the other extreme Modera-
ton in war and moderation IN peace
is the line along which the successful
nation must necessarily progressl 1t
is impossible to conceive Of a world
presided over by international law
givers, such as is the strange ideal
of some. To succeed in realizing such
dreams it would first be necessary to
emasculate mankind War is neces-
sary to mankind. All history shows
it to be inevitable"
A senator of the United States, one
of the most prominent and influential
members of that high legislative body
was recently approached with a view
/ to securing his cooperation in move
ment for the establishment of a per-
manent international tribunal of ar
bitral justice, such as was proposed
at the last Hague Peace Conference,
The report to me of the gentlemen
who conferred with the senator is as
follows: The senator pooh poohed
the idea of a permanent, judicial, and
binding court of arbitration. He said
the war expenditures were trivial lex
cept pensions, which cannot be touch
ed, and the United States would
never agree to refer questions in
volving the honor or territory of this
country to any court of arbitration
that the people would never tolerate
such a suggestion for moment"
Do this British author and this
American statesmen represent any
considerable body of public sentiment
among the Anglo-American peoples? If
So the friends of international peace
have a serious task before them in
converting the English-speaking world
to a policy of peace and goodwill
among the nations Our history
shows that war is popular with the
masses of our people. The conduct
of our legislators and public men in
times of controversy with foreign gov.
ernments has been largely controlled
by their knowledge that the great
body of the people would approve
heartily a call to arms Hence the
important work before US is to seek
to create a strong public sentiment
hostile to war, 1t is apparent that al
present it does not exist in our coun
try.
Let us examine the assertions that
was is inevitable and sometimes neces
sary We have been accustomed to
look upon the contests of past ages
as inspired by the spirit of conquest
or entered upon under trivial pre-
texts and without reason, to satisfy
the whims of autocratic or ambitious
rulers; but that since the nations of
Europe and America have assumed
the form of constitutional and rep
resentative government they have
not appealed to arms except for alleg-
ed grave reasons of state involving