Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-03
Factors Retardins Peace Movement.

tProf. C. w. Stephens, u. of NJ
The world, today, occupies. with re-
spect to the matter of militarism, a
paradaxical position; never before was
there so much talk of peace, never
before was there so much preparation
for war. The peace movement is pro-
crossing more rapidly at present than
ever before. The growth of general
knowledge: the increasing recognition
of the essential mental and moral uni
ty of the human race: the growing SOL
idarity industrially, commercially and
financially; the enormous and ever i'll
creasng burden that present militar-
ism creates: the growing power of
public opinion; the increasing use of
the sober second thought; the crea-
ton of tribunals, such as that at The
Hague, before the bar of which the
differences and disagreements among
nations may be equitably and peace
ably adjuGicated: the disappearance
CT many formerly fruitful causes of
@af, such as disputed international
boundary lines, title to territory.-all
these. with other influences, are count
ing strongly toward the advance of
the peace movement.
In the face of all this, then, how
are we to account for the seeming
inability of nations to limit armament?
How Is to be explained the anomaly
of the unprecedented preparation for
war at the time of this unparalleled
movement for peace? Several funda-
menta, contemporaneous conditions
and relationships among nations, VIZ
have reason to believe. operate to
make the material restrictions of mill
itarism at present impracticable. First
emong these may be mentioned the
Clash or conflict of ethnic cultures. of
life PHILOSOPHERS, of pride of race. The
so-called Japanese difficulty in Cali
fornia is a case in point. At bottom,
the question there is one. not Of land
holding, not of Industrial handicaps.
not OF political inequality, but of con-
nict of race standards, of pride of
blood, of types of civilization. The Jap
anese will be content with nothing
less than equality with all other races
and nationalities. The American, on
the other hand, firmly refuses to per-
nit his own accustomed standard of
living to be, as he believes, imperlled
by competition with race accepting
a lower standard. The difference i'll
conception of civic duty. of social OBJ
legation, between Latin American and
The United States Is afforded in the
present situation In Mexico. 1t is idle
to expect the people TO the South Of
lis to maintain the same Ideals as We
do. Az long as these differences ex-
list 80 long will IL be not Impossible
FOR serious disagreement to arise.
A second factor of a disturbing ma
ture is the present inequality in the
power, territory, population, wealth
and prestige among the so-called lead
ing nations of the world. How can
g strong, virile, potentially mighty ma
ton be content to occupy secondary
place politically, commercially, indus
tr;aily, when it believes itself possessed
of possibilities of growth unexcelled
by those of any other people,
Again, the extension and deepening
of the functions of government, going
on so rapidly everywhere at the pres
ent time, can not fail to foster and in
tensify public spirit. feeling of pa
triotism, of nationalism, a conscious
ness of the value of ones government
to biz general welfare. can not fail TO
maintain a sense of the need of main
tanning a strong nation.
But these factors working to retard
the peace movement, vital though they
are, have not necessarily to be per
petual 1t is for everyone having any
part in the education movement to
strive to foster larger spirit of hui
nan brotherhood, of essential unity
Of mind and heart