The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-05-16
"DOES THE PREPARATION FOR
WAR MEAN THE BEGINNING
OF PEACEw

Great Britain.
In celebration partly of this event
and partly to bring about universal
peace" a dinner was given in New
York City at which more than five
hundred men and women were seated,
all Of them of wide distinction, and all
of whom applauded all references to
the peace propaganda recently formu-
lated by Pesident Wilson.
Secretary Bryan was one of the
principal speakers at this dinner, and
among other things he said:
1.-TWO weeks ago, at the direction of
the president, | summoned the rep
resentatives OF IS nations represent
ed at Washington, that l might, for
him, simultaneously present through
them to their governments a PROPOSE
ton in which the president expresses
not only his Willingness, but his de-
sire to enter into agreement with ey-
cry other nation, great or small, that
so far as our nation and that con-
tracing nation is concerned, there
will be no war. no declaration, no
commencement of hostilities until the
question in dispute has been investi-
gated by an international tribunal, and
it's report made known"
The way to get peace is to go for it,
and go for it as if you meant it.
A man generally gets what he goes
searching for.
That time has not yet arrived. nor
will it ever arrive, when man shall
go into his garden and gather figs
from thistles.
Every tree, flower and plant; every
insect, fish, fowl and animal, is as
true to it's kind today as it was when
the world was first created.
Whether the Mosaic or the Oar
winian theory be true; whether the
earth was created or evolved, the
law holds good, that like begets like.
We gather what we SOW. If we SOW
the wind we reap the whirlwind.
In the beginning of time, if one Of
our forbears became thirsty for hui
man gore, he seized bludgeon, skulk-
ed behind trees and lodges Of rocks
and bided his opportunity to fall upon
his unarmed and unsuuspecting vic
tim and slew him.
AS he advanced a step or so in civ
ilization he welded his crossbow, or
proudly buckled a sword about his
person and bo&stingly slew his score
or more.
As he climbed still higher up the
sleeps of more refined and cultured
civilization as we find it today diffus-
ed over the greater part of the earth
he secretes his hammerless revolver
in his hip-pocket, a phial of chloro-
form about his clothes, or sends
through the mails a box of poisoned
candy.
The thirst for blood-the desire to
take human life-is just the same to-
day and is just as rife, as it was
when Cain slew Abel
Court houses, iails, churches. news
papers. and all the movements for
the prevention of the infiction of tor
ture. seems to have had very little re-
straining influence.
Our whole superstructure of civili-
zation seems q lamentable failure.
AS it has been and is still with in
dividuals, so it has been and is still
with nations.
a nation does not erect affairs, dis
tribute anthems, songs and proclama-
tiOns of peace, if it is in search for
war; it does not establish military
schools, mobilize armies, manufacture
gunpowder and the missiles and arm
aments of war, if it wants to tread in
the paths Of peace.
4 nation knows how, when and
where to find what it wants.
1t is the purest tommy-rot to pro-
claim that the preparation for war
means the beginning of peace."
The experience of the world from
the day it was created to this blessed
hour proves this proposition to be a
great big, monstrous fake
The war has not yet been heard of
that was not foretold, planned, antic-
ipated and precipitated.
If education was compulsory and
universal; if only peace was preached
from the pulpits if the exploits Of
the soldier We're not extolled and glo-
rifed if an inhibition were placed
upon the manufacture of gunpowder
and guns, war and the war spirit
would end.
Wars are the outcome of greed and