The Washington herald., 1914-12-21
Blessed Are the Peacemakers but

Blessed Are the Peacemakers, but
Blessed indeed are the peacemakers, but, what
ever the future holds for them, not yet have the,
inherited the earth. They multiply and this natior
would like to enlist as body in their ranks. Some
day, perhaps it will do so but not until il may with
complete security. Meantime warily it must play
the game as an armed world requires, justly &c
ITSELF justly to its neghbors. The problem is still
entirely practical one in which the heart must
not outrun the head. We are all shocked and huri
by this war and our faith in men has declined. We
regret our impotence to check it or to ameliorate
its horrors. Because we selling munitions and
supplies to the bellgerents there has come feel
ing that guilty of sbetting and prolonging
the conflict and this 'crystalizes in proposal that
Congress prohibit part of the traffic.
To all who abhor bloodshed this project makes
strong sentimental appeal but when it is examined
as is imperative, from practical standpoint il
bristes with difficulties that are insuperable. 1t
would violate the neutrality which we must pre-
serve; it would create "a precedent dangerous to
ourselves; and it would bring home to our people,
with intensity they have not yet felt the actual
hardship entailed by the war. ..
The question of precedent is possibly the most
important of these several considerations. We have
been, we are ever shalbbe chronically unpre-
pared for war. We were when we engaged
Spain and went to Great Britain and other
nations for the war materials that sorely need
ed and could not manufacture in reasonable time.
Are we by quixotic action at this time to deny
selves for all time that opportunity? And if we
are prepared thus to handicap ourselves what
think we of such rule for all the world? 1t
would for all time place premium upon military
preparedness and a handicap upon every weak na-
ton in the world. 4
Our government is at pains scrupulously to pre-
serve its neutrality 1t is charged with the high
duty of presenting to all of the belgerents uni
form rule of conduct Any diversion from this
policy at this time could not escape violation of
our neutrality because it must operate to the dis
advantage one hand, the advantage on the other,
of certain of the belligerents. The fortunes of war
at have given one group of belligerents an ad-
vantage. 1t is neither right nor our duty to
equalize that condition; it is our bounden duty
absolutely to avoid doing President Wilson
has laid our that route with justice and
intelligence and is leading us with hrmness. Do
not interfere with him.
The argument that would stop the trade in arms
and let the traffic in foodstuffs go on lacks the
virtue of logic. Wasn't it Napoleon who said that
an army fought on its belly? Whoever said it, it's
the whole TRUTH and there is quite as much vice
or III 4hluHGSOLA "HCdl 10 IuC
of Europe as there is in sending Connecticut rifles
to them.
The United States did not provoke this war; on
the contrary it distinctly dsapproves of it But it
could not stop it if it closed every of its ports
and became hermit republic 1t has three chief
duties toward it The first is SO to conduct itself
that it shall not become involved. That is the
purpose the essence, the spirit of neutrality The
second is to protect the material interest of its
people, shielding them, as far>as is possible within
the reasonable limits prescribed by custom and
developing discretion, from the material loss
caused by the war. They have already lost heavily
as result of the war and cannot escape further !
loss to the end of the contest and the reconstruc
ton period after hostilities. Thousands of men
are in ideness and want because of the war, and it
requires pretty strong sentiment to increase their
number and add to their suffering
The third cardinal duty of government is
to tender its good offers for peace at the first prac
teal moment and to lend its neutral counsel to the
of the grand dispute.
There seems a disposition to bring racial diff |
ierences to bear upon this question in presenting
ind pressing it at Washington To the politician
there are votes at stake. Friends, it is bigger
and more vitality important question than that and
we counsel that it be retained and treated upon the
highest scale of craftsmanship that our country
Knows.