Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-14
THE PRICE OF VAR
By MISS M. RU TIL ANDERSON

led TO an advance of prices in the
worlds common needs. .....-.. -.
Economically. war means loss. a
less of men, which is far more .seri.
Gus than material resources. For the
strength of nation lies in its men,
and there can be no doubt that the
economic progress of the world, and
the betterment of general welfare has
been greatly retarded by the, i'm
mense drain Of war upon that portion
of the population which does the
worlds work Lip.
Terrible as is the price the ma.
tions pay financially and physically.
there is still the heaviest item of all
to be considered .: s......... r
What is truer than this quotation
from Edmund Burke? War sus-
ponds the rules of moral obligation,
and what is long suspended is in
danger of being totally abrogated :"
In time OF war, the moral standard Of
the whole nation is lowered, for war
refines cruelty, praises falsehood and
deception and legalizes crime, If the
enemy is the victim. To the
soldier in the field IL is legiti-
mate to lie, steal, cheat and burn
property. so long as it Is again the
enemy against whom all this is prac-
ticed How can this do anything but
injure the moral character of the par
ticipant? War may call forth heroic
qualities in men. it is true, but still
more does it call forth the baser ma
ture, for God is forgotten in war and
every principle Of Christianity is trod-
den under foo"
In political life war leads to cor
ruption and low ideals Too often Is
an important position flied inefficient
ly by favoritism.- Partisanship in
politics leads to much jealousy and
bitterness which continues long after
the war is over Commerce. too,
shares in the general debasement.
Everywhere one sees the spirit OF self
profit ~....
Professor James in his essay emit
tied "The Moral Equivalent of War"
claims that military life is m1re siren
nous and exacting than civil lie, and
that the tendency of war is to dcvclos.
a more yirile manhood than would ne
developed in civil life He all, states
that if war be abolished that the world
would lose a dpsitive >orce inschara'
ter building. His moral eaiiivalent"
for this is compulsory service in civil
life, by which manhood shall he able
to do a worlds work But is this
idea and are these beliefs of his quite
so? Is soldiers life more strenuous
than that of civilian? Nine out of
ten soldiers with any sense Of justice
! would answer in the negative Is it
more exactfng? Does it develop a
yirile manhood? Think OF soldier in
peace service. which today constitutes
nine-tenths of his duty, he certainly
has an easier time than the average
laborer or mechanic. Then in time of
war, emitting the great crises of bat
tie. the things which tax his endur-
ance lack. of good food and regular
eating. exposure. compulsory marches,
prison. and other such things-tend to
weaken, rather than promote moral
and physical development
Many people are at last beginning to
realize the terrible price of war. not
only to the Individual but the nation
as a whole. But too many still re-
main indifferent at may be true. .
they say, ''but what can we do
Every citizen can do his duty in driv-
ing this great evil from the world.
War is of human origin and it is not
inevitable. As the Rev. w. Walsh
says, THE time has come to think"