Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-28

Impede the growth OF civflizat1on Dy
breeding an inferior class of men?
Ruskin says Gin THE Blood Of the
lNationn) in answer to our question:
IssWar is the foundation of all high vir-
tues and faculties of men," Another
writer, Hardwick, declares fin .The
Blood of the Nationf) that war
strengthens a nation morally, mental
Ily and physically" We must realize
Ito some extent the truth Of RuskiIEs
statement when we sing of the innu-
lmerable deeds of bravery and loyalty
that are associated with wars. We
| midst agree with Hardwick that the
sudden zeal for fighting a foreign ma
ltion, which by 5somei horrible peryer-
lsion is generally called. patriotism,
funifies the people of a nation. making
them forget their internal strife and
petty quarrels.
But i doubt that these high virtues
land faculties, brought to the focus Of
public attention during times of war,
| are the products of war. more read
lily believe that bravery and loyalty
fare really developed during times Of
fpeace. 1t is certainly reasonable, psy-
lckologicaHy, to assume that the cow
lardlin time Of peace will play the cow
ard in time of war, and that the
brave man Of peace merely has on the
battlefield a more spectacular oppor-
tnnity for displaying his heroism.
However this may be, history shows
that these attractive features OF war
are but temporary, and that its per-
mAnent effects are of incomparably
greater moment. War has left behind
only records of waste and corruption
wherever it has spread, and even when
unavoidable and righteous, its effects
are most repellant DR.. Jordan con-
strates Tin The Blood of the Ma
Ition''l that throughout the entire
course of history, the Warlike nation
lOf today is the decadent nation of to-
Emorrow.'
Why is this Inevitably true? / find
the explanation in Browning's poem,
saul It is expressed in the words.
"All's law" The world is not govern
led by blind forces working with utter
disregard for specific formulate. 1t is
controlled by definite laws of cause
and effect, We cannot violate the
laws of the universe without paying
the penalty.
Conservation tells. US that we must
preserve the resources of our nation
for the generations yet to come, but
the most valuable resources to be con-
served are not ore and timberlands,
but our manhood and womanhood; and
war does not conserve these. The
bravery and patriotism displayed on
the battlefield do not assure the war
Irior safe return to HIS wife or sweet
heart The nation mourns the loss of
Ther brave and loyal citizens, but she
suffers more essentially from the fact
that these heroes, the Greeks that per.
ished at TheFmopalae, the French that
fell at Waterloo, the Americans that
were slaughtered at. Gettysburg, pass
ed away without having propagated
their kind. Take notice of this fact.
Large numbers of the nations most
worthy representatives are cut off
from life before they have replenished
their kind. This is a direct desecra-
ton of a fundamental law of the uni
verse and surely good does not come
out of evil.
Let US now turn to the social and
educational sacrifices which the ex-
tortioner demands At the present
time every civilized country is becom-
ing keeRly aware that the most ole
'mentary provision for the higher train
ing and purer breeding of it's citizens
is postponed to the slamor for ever
increasing ornaments If war is not
made impossible by the establishment
of arbitration, every groundless war
scare. so frequently aroused for in
dustrial reasons, as is demonstrated
by the recent Kruop exposure in Ger
many, will bring forth. from the ra-
tfons the cry for new and more ex-
tensive preparations. But these rap
idly recurring appropriations IN an