Semi-weekly herald., 1913-09-25
INTERNATIONAL POLICE
TO PRESERVE PEACE

men seek an excuse for going to war
| it is easily found The converse is
equally true: When statesmen seek
reasons for keeping the peace, they
are found.
1t would be very easy for the ad-
ministration at Washington to find
excuses for going to war with Mexi-
co. There are more reasons for in
terfering with Mexico than there
were for whipping Spain. There are
more reasons than there were when
we did go to war with Mexico. There
have been presidents who would have
had American troops south of the
Rio Grande long before this. What
ever criticisms may be made of Pres
ident Taft's administration, the coun-
try should be thankful that he, and
not another who might be named, was
in the white house at the time this
Mexican trouble began. We should
be thankful now that affairs are in
the hands of men who are seeking
| reasons for keeping the peace, rather
than for going to war.
But administrations are not al
ways dominated by peace-loving men.
The world is still well supplied with
belligerents, and so long as they are
| allowed to carry big sticks there will
be plentiful crop of cracked heads.
We should look to environment and
make it easy to keep the peace. Our
local police realize the Importance of
| this and strive to keep guns out of
| the hands of the criminally inclined
Doubtless other steps will be taken
with the same end in view, for it is
| not enough merely to disarm rogue.
He must be armed for good, else he
will soon procure new weapons. Pres
| ident Diaz had the right idea when
he enlisted the Mexican banditti in
the famous rurales. The same man
| kept the peace that formerly broke it,
but he had different motive. Form
| erly he won precarious living by
riding about the country and levying
tribute upon the public. But as a
member of the national police he had
less danger to fear, was assured of
a living, and enjoyed the satisfaction
of being useful member Of society.
This is not to be taken as an indorse-
ment of Diaz's government, nor is it
/ to say that the rurales were ideal
police. 1t is merely used for illustrat-
i've purposes. The idea is good 1t
is constructive, rather than environ
| ment to human nature. Man must be
doing. If not doing good he is do
ing evil. The whole work of reform
ing the criminal will not be accomp-
lished by taking away his gun. He
must be given hammer or trowel
or something that will satisfy the
muscles of his hand and occupy his
mind. Nor must this be within pris-
on walls, for no mans mind was ever
satisfied behind barred doors and
windows.
But the international criminal is
! now under consideration. How can
we take away the guns from William.
| George, Nicholas Francis, Joseph,
Victor Emanuel and all the other gun
men who are staggering up and
down the stage? Is there not hint
for us in the plan of the Mexican
dictator? No one of these great gun
men is strong enough to dsarm the
others and all have steadfastly re-
fused to disarm voluntarily. Why
not try the plan of giving them some
thing useful to do, with their guns
1t is doubtful if any of the gentle
men named really wishes to kill the
others. 1t is more likely that they
cling to their weapons because of the
fascination that lies in their glitter
and power.
Cannot this crude passion be turned
to useful purpose? There really
is no need of standing army and
great navy to guard one Christian
| nation from another. That is un-
thinkable. Were that true, st. Peter
would have to search every man he
let through the gate.
Neither is it necessary to arm
Christians against heather nations,
for heather nations don't keep stand
ing armies and navies, and for two
reasons. In the first place they can
not afford it; it requires great pro-
ductive power to maintain large
portion of the people in idleness. In
the next place, their religions have
not been filtered through the bloody
Roman mind. The organized Roman
world that afforded such a rapid
spread to the sublime teachings of
Jesus cursed them with the taint of
cruelty and blodthirstiness.
Therefore, since Christians do not
need to arm against Christian or
heather nations, why not combine
their forces in sort of international
police? 1t may be some time before
individuals and irresponsible tribes
can keep order, and what better way
is there than to enlist the gentlemen
above named, together with the 9TH