The Washington herald., 1913-05-18
By WILLIAM L. ALTDoRFER.

Peace Day will be celebrated tomorrow
In all the public schools of the country.
While today, May 1s-the anniversary Of
the first Hague conference-is the day
set aside by Uncle Sam as the Official
Peace Day, following the usual custom
1t will be celebrated in all the schools
tomorrow. ........ . -..
Because of the unsettled condition Of
the world today. the Balkan war, the
Mexican instruction, the danger of a
general European outbreak. and the Japa-
uese war scare, the annual observance
Of Peace Day in our public schools will
take on a deeper significance this year
than ever before. The observance of the
day is becoming general, not only IN the
United States, but is sweeping the coun-
tries Of the world in flood of patriotism.
Although of recent origin its scope is
world wide. Formation is better than
reformation is the slogan Of the White
Ribbon Army, and it is along this line
that all peace advocates are now work
ing.
One of the greatest peace disciples in
the world, Ferdinand Buisson, of France,
sends this greeting to the children OF
America: ITO set aside one day in the
year in all public schools as the holiday
Of humanity, placing it above even our
national holidays, marks a new era in
public education The time is near when
men will work out the miracles Of learn
ing how to live as men ought to live;
when nations, as well as individuals, Will
repudiate force and brutality as the su-
preme means of settling their differences.
This time has mot yet come. To hasten
its coming, we might ask the youth TO
think and speak about it as least once
a year. Such progress does not require
the genius of an Archimedes or a New
ton, but must spring up irresistfbly from
the conscience of the young generation,
and from the universal will of men, in
dependent of races, classes, and tongues.
Children, you must all prepare for 1t. as
YOU are the ones who will be called upon
the work out these problems.
Peace Day! Let it shine one day in the
year among all nations The whole year
is consecrated, as it ought TO be, to the
promotion of love of country, to teaching
our duties toward our country, to the
extent even of sacrificing ourselves for
her. On this special day, however, II Is
in order not to forget our country, but
to see it TRANSPORTED in the future, to see
il lead in the movement which fraternally
binds one nation to all others, making a
sort of superior country, the federation OF
the United States of the civilized world.
Dreams of Peace.
Let Peace Day shine once a yea among
all classes of society. During the entire
year, we study the laws which regulate
their relations, that is to say, their con-
fiicts; but on this day we should antIci-
pate the future. We shall see in the dis
lance a society where civil and economic
wars, as well as all other wars, shall have
disappeard. We may dream OF social
peace accompanying international peace,
of the end of the struggle Of classes,
through the disappearance of classes. We
shall no longer witness the duel between
capital and labor. since there will be
no longer men who own without working,
nor men who work without being owners.
Dreams, they say: distant dreams and
idle fancies. Perhaps, but such dreams
are an inherent part of our love for life.
and such chimeras are indispensable to
the growth of man. If you wish to pillow
straight and deep, hitch your plow to
star"
The American School Peace League was
the outcome of the first National Peace
Congress held in New York in 1907. The
league was organized on the basis of State
branches with annual meetings at the
time of the conventions of the Teachers
Associations. The interest in the promo
zion of the ideas of this league is world
aide.
1t is intended to develop International
standards in teaching, especially the sub
ject of history. Also to spread the broad
idea of international good will and to
stimulate study of events in world politics,
with the idea of settling international diff
fculties by judicial procedure instead Of
the usual resort to war. The plan places
emphasis in history teaching on the causes
and the results of war rather than on
the glitter of battles and military cam
paigns. and on the social and industrial
conditions of life. The league teaches that
children old enough to study history |
should be taught the events connected |
with the two Hague conferences.
Taft Discusses Peace.
In speaking of Peace Day and its ceIe- !
hration in the schools of America former |
President Taft said: The development |
# the doctrine of international arbitra- |