The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-11-20
Thinking Peace

l I->~-~-~~>@r~-~~~r@>~--<- l The able editor of The Bridgeport
 Farmer takes me to task for what seems at first glance to be caLlousness
 and cruelty respecting the proper
 methods of ending war. He takes exception to my statement that the
 tors and nurses-by making war less
 dIy-assists materially in it's per- 1 petuation.
 He advocates that we redouble our
 energy in binding wounds and ad-
 ninistering consolation to the dying, 1 and contends that sesjust to the extent in which men try to make war less barbarous is the degree of their edu- cation away from war"
 Let us examine the last premise first 1-as being the most important.
 1For many centuries the keenest an- telIects, the most marvellous mechanf- cal skill, the profoundest chemical knowledge has been prostituted to make war more barbarous. The high est honors and the most lavish efnolu- ments have been awarded those who discovered ways in which larger and ever larger numbers of men could be murdered. The war leash has been held in the greedy clutch of those who Isacrifice millions of lives and billions 1 of treasure for the purpose of gain l ing commercial and trade benefits that np longer can be secured by connpetd-
 tion. A slipping this leash precipf- l tates the carnival of carnage. Why! Because human ingenuity has stop | ped short in its efforts to make the
 game annihalftating. Men will take 1 a chance of coming home safely. The
 clean, almost trtfIing wound of the
 high-powered rifle bullet. the quickly
 soldier; the marvellous efficiency or
 field hospitals; make of an ordinary
 wound merely 8 red badge of courage,
 instead Of a, death warrant.
 As war exists under our present benefieent restrictions restrictions call tcu1ated and proposed In the interests Iof it's confinuence-it is possible to live. The dangers of a lmortal end, even in the most sang1in-4 Ia.ry campaign, arse rarely greater than. twenty percent. Tn other words--711a- -3 der even the most serious reVerses a lsoldier has eight chances out of ten iof reaching home safely.
 But supposdng this favorable eighty Iper cent. of chance was to- be wiped Io1t? Supposing that neither doctors Jnor nurses wasted valuable time and
 effort in cleaning up the dirty work lof uniformed assassins Supposing that all possible food and water sup Ep1fes calculated to be used by the ene- Imy were poisoned? Supposing that sIeVery weapon was infected with that l deadly organic poison distilled by the faction of the sun on decaying meat i the slightest particle Of which, intro- Iduced under the skin, is almost in levitably fatal?
 I Supposing that cholera typhoid, and l ltyphus were sown broadcast3 That to sIbe taken prisoner was to be executed 2 3Supposing that Humanity was not rot ten with the spirit of rapacity, and that neutral nations refused to furnish b4-for a b1ood-sTneared considerations larms munitions, food clothing. medi- slciness and surgical and nursing aid to s these profft-erazed naadInen. and their sf fignorants pitifu1 dupes2 supposing ex- IpIosive and dun-dun bullets were uni-
 Yersally employed and that every bull let, on it's exit from its flesh and bones
 target, would leave a gaping ordfice. Unto " which one might thrust a cIench- led fist-caIsinE rapidly fatal
 heraorrAage or an d1acuralbie wound- entirely aside from tl1e mortal effect Of 1.-the poison carried by the bu1let2
 Supposing we were really desiroas lof making war horrible instead of mak-
 ing it pOssibIe7 How many idiots,
 think you. would enlistor even per I init themselves to be drfven-to cer-
 tain death7 How many would neglect Ito fight like trapped rats against de- lstruction? Fl Not a sufficient number to start a
 vvar--let alone finish ones This may . mot be good hlnna1lit ity--but 1t Is good sI common sense Men have fought@in the old hard- lto-hand days-writ bout quarter or
 tsbenefit of clergys but they fought I against other men men whom they
 Icould see, and if necessary run away
 tfro11-not murder machines raised to the Nth power.
 Education is splendid, but not when ,. lit is applied to the refinement of
 slaughter. Men will cease butcher- i. ling at capitaHstic and naflitaristic be- , Iihest only when:
 : First-Int ernational co-operation is Isubstitgted for international compett- ton.
 t Second +When every man and wo- 2 Imam in every country Of the world
 Ireceives the full returns or their la ibor.
 :. 4 Taird--When there will be- no terri
 tories remaining to be exploited finan- cially--or by force of arms, if need bs
 Fourth-If war were made so fright ], full that none but veritab1e rnada1aen
 bent upon committing imminent s11f- Icide would dream of indulging in 1t. s 2 Thinking peaee.s will not end wars | Nor will more charity, moro whining: lGod-eonfounding hypocracy end them Nothing but d readjustnent of ola1 brutal econonnic system, or an Infinite
 br-utaIizing of our war methods vii accomplish the result Therefore. l ganizations. and pestiferous peace so. : cietdes whose heads grow fat on arm. lament contracts whose armed 2 chiefs are the very head and front Q: : all this wicked offending- perpetual, [, ! war.
 EDWIN F BOWERS. M. D.