Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1914-11-26
v AR n ] ST GO
Hamilton Holt, Noted Editor
And Peace Advocate
Lectures
EUROPEAN FRAY DISCUSSED
Saturday Evening in College Chapel
Problems of Peace and War
Were Explained

Mr.. Hamilton Holt, the distinguish
ed editor of the Independent Magazine
and the foremost lecturer on the
peace movement in the United States,
delivered the finest lecture of the year
in the college chapel Saturday even
ing before large crowd of townspeo-
pie and students on that subject which
is of such vital interest to the world
in general and the United States in
particular. He brought a message
which will linger long in the memory
] of the large audience which was priv
ileged to hear him, for his theme,
"Peace," was handled as only a high
authority can handle it.
The substance of his address en-
braced the whole field of the causes
of the peace movement and the reme-
dies which are being prescribed and is
as follows: Though there are three
great arguments against war fourth
is sometimes offered. The fourth
maintains that human endurance can
, not stand the enormous shock incurr-
red in the handling of the big guns
which are the universal instruments in
modern warfare. But this argument,
Mr.. Holt pointed out, is partially re-
futed by a Frenchman, Jean DuBloc,
who maintains that individual cour-
age and bravery which the war brings
out will and does overcome this ap-
parently insurmountable difficulty.
The three big reasons why war is
fundamentally wrong is: First, from
moral; second, from economic, and
third, from biological standpoints.
From a moral standpoint the folly of
war is best shown by quotation
which Mr.. Holt made from the Bige-
low papers of James Russell Lowell,
where he said, "War is just plain mur-
der" Further, despite the fact that
over eight thousand treaties of peace
have been made during the past thir-
| ty-fve thousand years, with the ex-
ception of one hundred twenty-six
years. there have been one or more
wars being waged constantly. The
finer attributes with which God has
endowed man are nearly entirely lost
because of the play of passions which
|
viewpoint, the present war between
the nine nations of Europe ard Asia
will cost approximately ten thousand
million dollars. It's total daily cost is
thirty million dollars. Finally it has
been computed that it costs just two
thousand dollars to kill one man. This
would seem to be a rather low price
- g., L., e y.
manhood
Though some might take issue with
the eminent New York editor he as
sertedq that wars and particularly the
present war are not waged for mer-
cenary reasons. Men fight because
they do not like each other, because
they do not understand each others
point of view, or because there are
certain racial differences, such as Ian
guage, customs, ETC., which preclude
mutual understanding.
From biological standpoint war is
wrong. Statistics computed after
great wars as the Franco-Prussian
war of 1870 show that it is the sur
vival of the unfit and not Of the fittest.
The average height of the Frenchman
decreased one-haf inch as a direct re-
suit of this cruel war. The best men,
physically, mentally and morally are
placed in the front ranks and bear the
brunt of the fighting while their in
feriors are served for less dangerous
tasks. Only men from nineteen to
twenty-four years of age are placed
in the front ranks, for it has been
found that they are the best fighters
and that their courage is of sterner
sort. In the second rank are to be
found men from twenty-four TO thirty
years of age, while in the third rank
are to be found those from thirty
years upwards. One million six hun
dred thousand men have already been
killed in the present European strug-
gle, while military experts assert that,
at the very least, four million men will
be killed. Among those numbers are
to be found the most skilled mechan-
les, artisans of all trades, as well as
scientific men who are the leaders in
every branch Of science. But there is
also an indirect loss, for there are an
equal number of wives and sweet
hearts dependent upon these men. be-
sides vast number Of children who
will be thrown on their own resources
or become burden upon the various
nations.
The one reason why peace advocates
have not accomplished more results
is the fact that they are carrying on
virtual "anti-war" campaign. Peo-
pie usually look askance at anything