The mirror., 1914-04-02

country can justly issue it.
This coming summer will see a
great celebration in this country on
account of the closing of century
of peace between the United States
and Great Britain. On New Years
Eve congratulatory peace messages
were flashed from New York City
to rulers of countries In every cor
ner of the globe, and in every case
a prompt and assuring reply was re-
ceived. Even Spain with whom we
were at war only few years ago
responded graciously, and assuring
ly. The affairs in Mexico while
showing us that war is still in our
midst are not detrimental to future
world peace. On the other hand
believe that the revolution there is
the direct result of general awak-
ening of the common people of Mex
leo to their rights and privileges as
men; and the final outcome will be
new Mexico, governed by men who
have the interests of their fellowmen
at heart. instead of those former selfish
individuals who held the lives of
their fellowmen of less value than
their gold. The manner i'll which
che other nations have handled this
affair shows clearly that the Idea of
war is abhorrent to them. Even if
the United States shall have to In
tervene to restore order it will not
be as an enemy but rather as an en-
issary of peace.
Increasing Armaments
Although all great nations of the
world today are increasing the
strength of their ornaments, each is
doing it on the basis of self protec-
ton. The United States is not be-
hind in these increases. Instead, she
is keeping well to the fore. vet,
President Wilson has declared that
The United States will Geek no
more territory by conquest, thus
showing that in this country at least,
that all preparations for war are
made to avoid the possibility of war.
If. as has been suggested at the
Hague conference the nations of the
world should agree to cease from
increasing the fighting forces for a
term of years, | believe that the les
sons learned therefrom would call
for world treaty limiting the arm
ament of all nations for all time to
come.
Even if two or three of our great
nations should come out strongly for
disarmament the other natious would
have to follow suit. Though it is
claimed by some writer's that this
would be most dangerous under
taking, | claim it would not. / do
not believe it is always the drill,
armOr and weapons that make the
best fighters, but it is the men with
the great cause behind them. His
tory substantiates this belief. We
all remember that old poem two lines
of which read:
Here once the emDattled farmers stood.
And fired the shot heard round the world,
We all we'll know the quality of
fighting put up by these same farm
ers, how the earnestness and the
of their purpose, en-
abled them. unframed and poorly
armed as they were to overcome an
army of the best trained men of
England. During the campaign of
Cromwell. he had an army de-
scribed at the time, as rustic boors.'
Roundheads and an unframed rabble,
yet their great determination and
the inspiration received from the
justice of their cause, enabled them
to overthrow an army of the best
trained fighting men of Europe. So
| believe as | said before if two or
three of our great nations should
agree on disarmament policy, and
as result be. threatened by an un-
just foe, there would be plenty rush
to their assistance and armed as
were the Colonials or the Round
neauS OF cromwell, with great pur-
pose, be fully able TO repulse any at
tack of the enemy.
1t is conceded that the German
Empire controls the peace of Europe.
In fact over year ago Viscount
England's High Chancellor,
That the German En-
peror had held the peace of Europe
in his hand for twenty-five years and
had not broken it," Germany is
usually represented as being adverse
to all suggestions of arbitration or
recommendations of the Hague
Peace Conference. Her vast in
creases of armament have created a
general impression of aggressiveness
that is entirely unfounded. The at
titude of the Kaiser is being either