The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-27

H ItnSf. Only 10 STE All LIiih tbFS IidNF
reared crumhled to earth in the in
evitable war to follow, If this inn
portant achievement presupposes i'm
provcment in our processes Of govern
ment. then let us devote ourselves to
that problem forthwith, as the most
important problem in civilization to
be solved
Ask Belgium bleeding and starving;
ask Northern and Eastern France, ask
the weeping widows and cold and
hungry children all over war hlighted
Europe what is the most important
thing to be considered now and for all
time They will say with one accord,
the preyention of war To that pur
pose we must now bend our minds and
our wills May it not be the great
privilege and glory OF the United
States Of America as the leading neu-
trail power at this time to lead the way
toward this great goal Of International
ism?
NATIONS LIVED IN FOOLS
ptRADISE-NOW PAYING PRICE
Shall we he satisfied to blush be-
fore the rising generation for the sham
civilization that we have invited them
into, and leave to them the duty which
We have failed to perform? or shall
We resolutelv assume the obligation
that the war now raging places upon
the present generation? Indeed this
duty should have been performed dec
AIDES ago: for the nations Wed with one
another in the increase of ornaments.
the training of men for war and the
nurturing of the war spirit. while we
lived in q fools paradise. thinking that
the war would never really occur But
now the horrors of the war are with
us. and humanity is now paying for
It's past folly.
We must now realize that the things
that we prepare for and train our
youth for will sooner or later come to
pass. Therefore we must right about
zee and recognize how foolish ii is for
every nation to train its choice men
with uniform and musket, and nstill
into the popular mind the supposed
glories Of war We must now do what
intelligent thinking would have led us
to do long ago.
. Wholesale murder is not civiliza-
ton: ii is not intelligent But that
is what exaggerated nationalism leads
TO. The only remedy is International
ism, at least to the extent of interna-
tional cooperation in the maintenance
of peace.
! We must not content ourselves with
talking generalities We must get
down Tor concrete things and do them.
Our government should invite the ma
tions of the world 10 appoint dele
gates To meet al the close of the war,
either ut The Hague or some place IN
Switzerand--o why not at some plac e
on this side OF the Atlantic - to pro-
pose a plan for an international fed
Grafton To maintain peace among the
nations within the federation. and for
defense against aggression from out
I side of the federation.
i This is not "A time for sentimental
ism. The war is a horrible reality.
The federation must be a new govern
ment, With real powers The con-
stituent nations must give un to the
new federal government all power to
declare war, conclude peace. and pre-
pare for war. just as our States have
given up these prerogatives to our
Federal Government at Washington.
AMERICA SHOULD LEAD
/ WORLD IN PEACE MOVEMENT
Our Government should be the
leader in this greater step forward
+ than humanity has ever taken. Great
Britain would doubtless accept our in
vitation. Indeed. an Anglo Saxon fed
GRAFTON would perhaps be sufficiently
strong to accomplish the purpose. But
lit should not be confined to such mar
ROW limits. Such n movement needs
Ian civilized nations, and every civil
lied nation needs such plan for its
protection against tne horrors of war.
The lesser nations, Holland, Belgium
the three Scandinavian countries and
switzerland would doubtless respond
readily and gladly. The greater Euro
pean countries. as France and Ger
many, will be so tired of war that they
should eagerly join compact that
would protect their future. Surely a
sufficient number of nations would re-
4spond to give the plan a good start,
and the dilatory ones could join later.
/ Our President could issue the invita-
I ton as an e&ecutice act. as our invita-
ton 10 The Hague Conference was, or
Congress could pass resolution in
structing the President to do So May
we ,vbt hope thai Congress will pass
something Ike the following?
I SUGGESTS PRESIDENT INVITE
! ALL NATIONS TO CONFEItE.N CE
/ Resolved That the President of tho
United States be hereby instructed to
issue an invitation to the nations of
the world to send delegates to meet at
, Geneva Switzerland, Immediately
after the close Of the present war in
! Europe Che exact date to be here
a fter determined by the PresidenD. to
propose q plan to their respective gov
crnments for an International Federal
Government which shall acquire and
control all ornaments and munitions
OF war belonging to the constituent
/ nations, and an army and navy for
the maintenance ol ptdtp dHlOfte lIiG
constituent nations and for protection
from outside aggression:
That the invitation shall he for deleL
gates numbering as follows:
The United States of America. FIVE
delegates.
Great Britain, five delegates.
France. five delegates
/ Germany, five delegates.
4 Russia, five delegates.
Austria : HAngarga AYe delegates.
I Italy, four delegates.
Holland. two delegates.
/ Belgium. two delegates
Sweden, two delegates.
Spain, two delegates.
4 Denmark one delegate.
Norway. one delegate.
Portugal, one delegate
Switzerland. one delegate.
n Greece and the Balkan States, one
delegate each.N
4 Mexico and the Central and South
American States. one delegate each
That the President appoint the dele
gates Tor the United States Of America
at his convenience.
We all know that an international
Federal Government. with powers