Evening journal., 1914-06-03

title of one of the essays that took
first prize (award of so in the recent
High School competition, having been
written by Norman Hollett Of the Feb
ruary class, 1915. The essay follows:
In former times it was customary to
argue for universal peace by appeal
ing to the human sentiments of man
kind and to pity. 1t was pointed out
as cruel and barbarous thing for the
men of one nation to shoot down their
enemies in cold blood thereby caus-
ing death and torture. These argu-
nients had weight with people who
thought pity was a virtue but there
are people who think that pity is not
an unqualified virtue. The latter will
argue that If man lets pity guide
him it will interfere seriously with
the efficiency of his work. Pity, after
all, is negative virtue and it is the
more positive qualities of human ma
ture that man is looking for today.
These qualities, such as loyalty, cour-
age, enthusiasm, are developed by
war.
What we are now looking for is an
argument for peace which will have
universal appeal II, by means OF
such an argument, we can convince
men that war should he abolished it
will be easy to find some other chan
lnels which will be an outlet for these
virtues which should be developed.
This IS an economic age, an age of
industry and commerce. in which
every man is striving to better his
condition and make the condition of
his children better than his own. The
industrial problems are the ones which
are calling most urgently for solu-
ton. Wages, the cost of living, con-
ditions of life-these are the things
which interest man today; these
things can only be attained by a
condition of peace. War, to the mod
fern industrial laborer, is star calam-
ity, and nothing more. The price he
must pay includes wounds. disease,
death and distress to his family and
the things thus dearly bought, ma
tional victory and national enlarge
,ment, are of no profit to the industrial
worker. His private possessions are
not increased: his toll is not tighten
ed, nor his life made brighter. The
fact that a nations boundaries are
enlarged is of no material advantage
10 the wage worker and the pride
that accompanies a large map is not
sufficient compensation for the cost
that ii involves.
In the olden days, it was customary
for the soldiers to acquire large spoils
after the conquest which made war
profitable to the humblest soldier. But
time has altered these conditions. Al
though one nation may take large ter
ritories by conquest, no individual
profits by it. Practically all such land
is in the hands of private owners and
this state Of affairs is not changed by
national conquests. The only way in
which an individual of the eonquering
nation can acquire any of the conquered
land is by purchase, and this could have
been accomplished without the horrors
Of war; For an example of this we have
only to look at the acquisitions OF the
provinces of Alsace and Lorraine by
Germany. BY this conquest no German
citizen or soldier gained either land or
loot French citizens owned their pri
waite property as before. and the only
way that they could be dispossessed
was by purchase In Ireland, the ques
ton Of home rule would be solved and
the soil won back for the Irish if they
could develop a superiority to English
landholders in industry, thrift and per
haps craft. If it is said that il Is
profitable to enlarge the boundaries OF
a nation, we reply that this enlarge
mont does not affect the individual and
that citizen in Holland is just as well
off as if he lived in a large country like
Germany or Russia.
H. these days, no nation liveth to t.
self alone. Few modern States are self
suffi@ng There is more to gain by
tra4ng with a neighbor than by killing
4 T., 81 holt a mil
lion men earn their living in the pro-
luction Of goods for Great Britain
alone. A war with England would
force all these men TO seek new fields
Of employment and this would com
pletely upset the industrial situation
and would case much hardship and SUIT
fering. The industrial workers live
from hand to mouth; war strikes off
the hand. Following in the wake OF
war is the heavy addition to the ma
tionai budget with the consequent tax
alton TO meet the interest on the war
debt. military pensions and other eN-
pcnses I'm addition to this is the con
stantly increasing expense of prepare
ton for war. the equipment and main
tenance of the army and navy, and the
strengthening of the national detences.
All these things go to prove that the
workman only stands TO lose by war.
All this time we need to remem-
her the words of the late. President
Mckinley, that Our interest is in con-
cord. not conflict, and that our real
eminence rests in the victories OF
peace. not those of war" The victor
les of peace are worth fighting for by
all men and the struggle calls forth
all the best qualities of mankind that
we possess We must have more
ships. We must encourage our mer-
chants marine. The money which is
spent for the building of battleships
might better be utilized for the con-
structioB Of ships OF trade The skill
and energy which are used for the de-
struction OF hostile armies should be