The Washington herald., 1914-09-13


treason why 1t should arm well for ma
tional defense. Consequently. ha advised
the British Parliament thereafter to build
two battIeships to every one built by Ger
many.
The people OF England today, whose
safety depends absolutely upon the pre-
dominance Of their navy. are in a position
to appreciate the wisdom of stead's ad-
vice ~
Since Mr.. Bloch's book appeared, we
have had our war with Spain; England
has passed through the Boer War. there
has been the Japo-chinese war; while
Japan and Russia have fought one of
the greatest wars in history, and at
Mukden they fought the biggest battle
which had up to that time, ever been
fought with gunpowder. There has been
well nigh continuous performance Of
revolution in Mexico for the past sew
eral YEARS; and the Balkan States have
whipped Turkey. Yet none of the nations
has committed suicide.
japan profited greatly by her war with
Russia, and Russia learned such usefuI
lessons that she also gained from the
set-to with Japan. Old Spain. disburden-
ed Of her cumbersome possessions by the
war with US, Immediately emerged into
a new prosperity. England gained great
ly by the Boer War. and the Beers them
selves are now far better of than they
would have been without that war. Even
the Balkan States lived to nght another
day.
While 1 do not wish for a moment to
minimize in the least the calamity of
war. yet it is necessary to emphasize
that fact that nothing is gained for the
cause OF peace by over-estimating the
evils Of war. 1t is the supreme OF folly
to belittle the likelihood of future war.
The actual truth about war is better for
the cause Of peace than unbridled exag-
geration.
am a peace advocate, and look
upon war as q thing to be resorted TO
only in the last extremity, when every
thing else has been tried, and there re-
mains no other. way.
The forces which have combined toI
precipitate the present war were too
powerful for the restraint of treaties or
international understandings. There is
not and there never has been in all the
history Of the human race, enough love
and affection between nations. enough SEN
timent Of brotherhood and humanity, orl
strength enough in treaties, to restrain
them from plunging into war when led
by the promise OF advantage to self
interest. or when impeIled by passion
A nation is but an aggregate individual, |
possessing all the vices, propensities, and
passions of the average person, and gov
erned only by average education, intelli- |
gence. judgment, and restraint, SO that,
when any great International provocation
arises, the composite Individual. which is
the nation. welding the giant -nwer Of
the common man, blind wit. niger,
throws discretion to the winds,
plunges headlong into war. Congres
and Parliaments, Presidents and Kings |
may lead or may follow. but go with the
people they must
The arming of the great powers Of Eu-
rope which has been going on so ardu-
ously for half a century, has served TO
deter the nations from going TO war
over so trivial matters as they used TO
do. Armaments and international alli-
ances, ententes and Understandings, have
helped TO hold up the tottering balance
Of power; but they could not prevent
such accumulation Of national needs and
ambitions as TO break through
the restraining influence of armaments,
and understandings, and force
4 settlement Of the issues by war.
The gigantic empire of Russia, extend