Semi-weekly herald., 1912-05-20
PEACE NOT WAR.

The enormous cost of the various
nations in their preparations for war
has aroused the intelligent people
throughout the civilized world. Bible
history furnishes data from which we
are inclined to believe that in the days
of the Babylonian empire much of the
wealth of that and surrounding coun-
tries was spent in military prepara-
tions. Coming on down through the
ages the historian notes that the peo-
pie of the great nations established
upon the earth have spent their bill
lions in maintaining the defense of
their respective empires. The critic
considers these conditions the evi-
dence of failure. But what about the
nations Of today? We boast of the
greatest age in all the worlds his
tory, and yet the sum spent for the
protection of nations in ancient times
pales into insignificance when COM
pared with the almost Incompetent
sible sums spent these days for mill
tary equipment. Our intelligence fails
somehow to devise ways and means
to stop this appalling expenditure of
modern nations. The selfshness of
man is so great; his desire for su-
premacy is so strong; his concern for
the poor and helpless is so little, that
he is willing to sink the nations of
the world in debt so deep that no hu
man intelligence can ever extricate
them from their Indebtedness.
For many years it has been common
knowledge that England is hopelessly
IN debt and never can and never ex-
poets to meet her bonded obligations.
Other nations are nearing that condi-
ton. The United States is well on
the way toward the inevitable result
The question that confronts the peo-
pie of the nations is "What can be
done to stop this drain upon the peo-
pies treasury" So long as nations
have no confidence in each other. so
long as each waits for an opportunity
to take the other at a disadvantage.
SO long as greed shall be the rule.
SO long as selfishness shall reign su-
preme, the nations of the world must
become poorer. But this condition is
not to exist without an effort to put
an end in a measure to this sapping
of the very life of business. Tomor-
row the people of the United States
will say to the world LET us have
PEACE" Tomorrow concerted ac-
ton will be made to force upon the
minds of all in this country the ne
cessity of putting into practice the
sublime thought conveyed in the words
Peace on earth and good will to
men,"
England, Germany and France may
well join us in the celebration Of
Peace day. Think of the good that
s26, ,oOO,OO0,Oo0, spent for providing
the nations of Europe with military
would do for the poor of |
that continent. Who realizes that
three-fourths of the income of thi.
nation is spent in military equipment?
And yet there are those who feel that
the nation is not keeping along with
'ther nations in their military prepa-
fations. When will the end of all
ms wastless expenditure of money
,ome? When will the nations realize
mat bankruptcy must be the one con-
fusion Of this course, if continued {?
:. is perhaps true that no one ma
ION can stop. 1t must be the con.
'erted action of the leading nations
II the world. "The Hague Tribunal,
vas established for that very pur- :
'ose. 1t is the purpose of that body :
o arrive at ways and means of dis.