Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-21


the world and the nations annual in
yestment in the great business OF war
fare, my estimate Is conservative 70
the eighteenth placel
And now, what of the thirty cents
left to spend? II is certainly proof
OF the skill of the national finaneiers
that they can veneer the other de-
partments of government with this
small portlonl With Il. such branches
of the public service as the legisla-
tive. executive. and judicial bodies.
the departments of the Interior. OF
commerce and labor, of agricul-
ture. and of education. and the
business of general public improve
ments must be maintained From
the fruits OF the thirty cents we may
derive food for speculation upon
the positive constructive work which
might be done with the seventy eenfsi
One writer has suggested that with
II, the slums OF our great cities could
be wiped out. The standard OF llv-
ing would thereby be raised The llt-
tie children who now die for want %
intelligent care. or who grow up m
ignorance and vice, would form, IN.
stead, a desirable and advanced citt
zenry. When the squalor Of the slums
offends us, when the sordldness Of
the dirty and poverty stricken dis.
tricts is forced In upon us, let a.
say to ourselves. This Il price Of
war" Civilized man chooses to spend
his public moneys and his consfruc-
tive energies In building life-destroy-
ing machines and great, unlovely de-
lenses, rather than upon the inspir-
; ing work Of lifting humanity to Z
,, higher state Of being.
When we read that the United
States merchant marine Is sadly neR-
, lectcd that our country has but
slight commercial strength upon the
high seas, let as say to ourselves.
This Is price OF war" For con-
gress, in 1912. appropriated to the
Navy Department, exclusive Of sal
aries and similar expenses, one hun
dred twenty-six million dollars to the
construction Of dreadnoughts which,
in the lead when laid down, will Be
out of date almost before they are an
ished. But for a ship subsidy bill
there were no! funds. We pay for
few gray destfoyers then. BY daDrIr.
ing ourselves Of an infinitely more
creditabIe. more durable. and nors
valuable navy Of freight boats and
passenger steamers
Thronehoat SoysrnnIent6i DEPART
ments we find urgent need OF the
seventy PEI. cent that goes q de
army and navy departments, and 81
the proportional energy and fhoueIit
force employed IN the expenditure 81
this money. Public service could be
made more effective and far-reachIng.
Our national improvements--our great
highways, our national parks. our for.
ests. our schools, our public buildings
might be trebled In value And IN
the lack Of all these increased ma.
tional assets do we make constant
sacrifice to the institution Of war.
The second great sacrifice to the
possibility Of war IL the sacrifice in
strong men. And, again. we come up
on startling figures. especially In the
European census. There, the esti-
mates give four hundred million work.
ers and three hundred fifty million
men under arms. Nearly half the male
population Is cut off from active pro-
ductive work, and It Is the better half,
too, for the armies consist only OF men
physically fit. The burden OF the
support of those non-producing con-
sumers is thrown back upon the other
half, and we call the result, @The high
cost OF living or The great unrest
IN the labor world.
Does It not hurt to reflect that IN
the world probably more than four
hundred million men, economically in
active, but physically the soundest and
best of manhood, are being fed and
dressed without making any return In
what Tolstoi called dread labor"
while little children 60 hungry and
unclothed? Healthy muscular men
are avowedly important economic as
sets of a nation, and in demanding
their time and strength, the institu-s
ton of war does, in times of peace a.
in times of disturbance, rob a state OF
a real source of wealth, so that insult
ficient production is another great
price that civilization pays for war.
Doctor David Starr Jordan says.
War is dying. 1t Is dying because IL
cannot pay its way" When we can be
sure that the very possibility OF war
is dying, we may look for relief from
the tribute we now pay. Greater ma
tional and international prosperity
will at once spring up, money which
now pays for gloomy Notifications and
cruel armored cruisers will be used
for improving public service through
out the world. The thought forces, the
skill and ingenuity now expended
upon instruments and methods for de-
stroying humanity will be directed to
its uplift and to the creation of beau
tiful am worthy works. The four hum
dred million men who now spend their
days in drill and maneuvers will turn
to the soil and to the peaceful arts
and crafts, go that civilization will adj
vance at bound And when the real
ization of this Great Alternative 10
borne in upon mankind, we may hope
to see the nations throw off the yoke
of hateful medieval institution. and
abolish forever the bugaboo of war
and rumors of war"