The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-29
CLASS OF 1914 OF THE OCALA HIGH SCHOOL RECEIVE

their energies in war-like prepare
tions are pronounced twenty per cent.
safer than those in any other country.
When George III of England an
nounced the independence of the Unit
ed States, he expressed the prayer
that the ties of language. commerce
and common interest might bind the
two countries together in union Of
peace. The same prayer might be ut
tered for all nations. Countries bound
together by bands of financial devel-
opment, through fear of loss will con-
troll their passions and refrain from
war.
When will the people of all nations
acknowledge that there should be
peace, not war: that the settlement of
their disputes by arbitration is less
costly; that war means commercial
as we'll as national suicide? AS long
as war continues and we bow before
the warrior god, hardships, poverty
and suffering must be endured.
In olden times, war was the training
field for men; it furnished a pastime
for the mobiles and the mail-clad
knights. Today men are trained in
the nobler arts of life, and are taught
to live at peace with their fellow men.
The desire for war and its excitement
is gradually passing away. Men who
are soldiers, whose ancestors were
mighty warriors, when given the OPP
portunity, vote for peace.
immigration has welded all the ma
lions of the universe together by the
links of blood and brotherly love. Race
prejudices and bitter hatreds are fast
dissolving under these influences, for
truth and light, love and law, justice
and mercy, liberty, humanity and
brotherhood know no national bound
aries" A spirit of justice and sense
Of fairness prevails among the ma
tions of today. The world unites in
denouncing any persecution or out
rage perpetrated on men, regardless
of their nationality. Peace is now
sought, not through the medium of
war, but peace in the spirit of peace.
The downfall of Napoleon taught
not only Europe, but the world, a les
son of war. Sickened by slaughter, |
disguised with murder and intrigue,
the world, since the battle of Water
loo, has had a tendency towards peace. |
Out of war, wickedness and waste |
there came a universal desire for |
peace through law. If war is abolish
ed, something must be substituted.
That something is arbitration, the
most potent factor of the twentieth /
century. Arbitration, the dream of
all lovers of peace, promises to sweep
aside war forever, and to settle dis
putes by amicable agreement 1t is
the only means of Cancellation, the
only substitute for war.
Universal arbitration, regarded a Il
few years ago with skepticism, is now
demanded. That arbitration is not an
experiment, but that it is practical is
proved by the fact that in. the last
century more than two hundred and
fifty disputes have been settled by
his means.
The year of 1898 is always to be re-
nembered as an epoch year, for in
hat year the first organized move.
nent towards arbitration was made
rhe car of Russia at this time issued
/ communication to the twenty-six ma
ions having ambassadors at the Rus
sian court, proposing a peace confer
snce. These nations readily accepted ,
he proposal, and The Hague was
chosen as the meeting place. While ,
Ill the questions discussed were not ,
settled, yet there was ,
me momentous outcome-the estab-
ishment of the International Court of
Arbitration 1t is court of justice, |
where important questions and differ ,
'nces are settled with impartiality. Il
The South American republics of ;
chile and Argentine have set an ex- ,
ample to the world by submitting the
ong-standing boundary dispute to a ,
.ourt of arbitration. War, which
would have upturned and torn the s
countries asunder, was avoided, and /
'etween the republics a spirit of ,
love was promoted. In COM :
nemoration of the treaty bronze stat s
le of Christ was erected on the Andes, :
earring this inscription: Sooner shall :
hese mountains crumble into dust .
han Argentines and Chileans break :
he peace to which they have pledged
themselves at the foot of Christ, the :
~
Confidence is not to be won by a :
how of strength. Strong countries