The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-10

we did about Panama; all mankind would have
been the loser. While the Turks were butcher
ing the Arrnenians the European powers kept
the peace and thereby added burden of infamy
to the nineteenth century, for in keeping that
peace greater number of lives were lost than in
any European war since the days of Napoleon,
and these lives were those of women and chill
dren as we'll as of men while the moral degrade
ton, the brutality inflicted and endured, the ag
gregate of hdeous wrong done, surpassed that
of any war of which we have record in modern
times. Until people get it firmly fixed in their
minds that peace is valuable chiefly as a means
to righteousness, and that it can only be consid-
cred as an end when it also comedies with right
eousness, we can do only limited amount to ad-
vance its coming on this earth. There is, of
course, no analogy at present between interna-
tiona law and private or municipal law, because
there is no sanction of force for the former,
while there is for the latter. Inside our own ma
ton the law-abiding man does not have to arm
himself against the lawless simply because there
is some armed force-the police, the sheriff's
posse, the National Guard, the regulars-which
can be called out to enforce the law. At present
there is no similar international force to call on,
and l do not as yet see how it could at present
be created. Hitherto peace has often come only
because some strong and on the whole just
power has by armed force, or the threat of arm
ed force, put stop to disorder. In very in
teresting French book the other day was read
ing how the Mediterranean was freed from pi-
rates only by the pax Britannica, established
hideous bloodshed and wickedness of Algiers
and Turkestan was stopped, and could only be
stopped, when civilized nations in the shape of
Russia and France took possession of them. The
same was true of Burma and the Malay States,
as well as Egypt, with regard to England.
Peace has come only as the sequel to the armed
interference of civilized power which, rela-
lively to its opponent, was just and benehcent
power. If England had disarmed to the point of
being unable to conquer the Sudan and protect
Egypt, so that the Mahdists had established their
supremacy in Northeastern Africa, the result
would have been horrible and bloody calamity
to mankind. 1t was only the growth of the
European powers in military efficiency that freed
Eastern Europe from the dreadful scourge of the
Tartar and partially freed it from the dreadful
scourge OF the Turk Unjust war is dreadful; a
just war may be the highest duty. To have the
best nations the free and civilized nations, dis
arm and leave the despotsms and barbarisnls
with great military force, would be calamity
compared to which the caamities caused BY all
the wars OF the nineteenth century would be
trivial. Yet it is not easy to see how we can BY
international agreement state exactly which
power ceases to be free and civilized and which
comes near the line OF barbarism or despot.Srl.
For example, | suppose it would be very diff
cult to get Russia and Japan to come to conl-
mon agreement on this point; and there are at
least some citizens of other nations not to
speak of their governments, whom it would also
be hard to get together.
Did Not Favor Increased Navy.
This does not in the least mean that it is
hopeless to make the effort. 1t may be that