Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-02
DREW REFORMER SPEAKS ON
POSSIBILITIES OF WORLD PEACE
DR.. R. w. Rogers, Madison TheoIogan, Who Has Just
Returned from War Zone, Advocates Disarmament
and Applies Scripture to the Present Conflict.

ton was dispatched 20 Egypt. carry
ing presents of money and Jewels, to
form an alliance with that country.
"A prophet then took the people of
Judah to task, admonishing them
thus: You rebellious, lying children,
who will not heed the word of the
Lord The prophet then told these
people that only in returning and rest
would they be saved. Only by calling
back their deputation and ceasing
preparation for war would they be
spared the evils of war"
Dr. Rogers then read the passages
from the Scriptures on which he
based his application. Continuing, he
said:
War Is But What We Plan For.
What is the application? You can
all see it. The better part of the best
of the world is at war, which was
caused by two factors, as | see it.
First, the world has been preparing
for war for several years. Although
all of us do not think sometimes that
we get what we deserve, we generally
get what we plan for. From the Ger
mans, whom L respect and to whom l
owe so much, all of the old idealism
has disappeared. They have advo-
waited force. The most impetuous
have talked offensive warfare. The
more conservative advocated prepara-
ton for defense. The English have
been getting Systematically ready for
war. The second factor is the making
of alliances, the great hobgoblin of
the balance of power. Would Austria
have threatened Servia unless she
knew that the great German army
would help her? There is an alliance
between France and Russia, the terms
of which today are unknown. These
alliances are made for the purpose of
offensive warfare. The European ma
tons have the two things that gen.
orally bring war and they have war.
rs it not we'll that we should think
of George Washingtons advice, when
he set this nation out on the sea,
Keep out of entangling alliances
Have we not to be thankful that the
greater part of our history has been
without wari
Preparation for war ties up thou
sands of men, paid what we would
call less than a living wage, whose
only hope is in war There are thou
sands of young officers whose only
hope of rising is in war. There are
also the manufacturers of ammuni-
ton and armory who can only hope to
get rid of their products through con-
f1ict between nations. When ] was in
Leipzig, thirty years ago, there was
no more militarism than one finds in
the city of Boston. On my last visit
one could not touch civilian without
also touching a soldier.
People Foot the War Bills.
The sad thing is that the people
did not bring on this state of affairs,
the people who pay the bill. The prep
arations for war and alliances are
made by the goVernments-by a few
men,
DR.. Rogers then described some Of
the conditions in Europe, how bud
ding industries were all closed down,
land and property seized, railroads
taken over and business at stand
still. In England five of the Oxford
College buildings are occupied by
soldiers.
"One of the great jokes in the
papers is the question: Where are
the peace shouters now? But let
me tell you, they are doing business
at the same old stand. The only
difference is that all their conten-
lions have been verified. Only in re-
turning and rest will we emancipate
ourselves from war. OF course, some
troops and forts are needed at the
present time. What causes the war
Is the swollen armies. L lOl0f~ one
person in Germany that l know OF
two countries that had no protection
against each other and was promptly
asked where. There are three thousand
miles of border between the United
States and Canada without fort ON
the whole frontier There is not an
armed vessel on the huge waterways,
with the exception of small ones to
prevent smuggling and piracy. Yet
these two countries have gotten
along for a hundred years without
making faces at each other.
IF both had ships, forts and armies
there, each naturally increasing with
the other, they would constantly be
making fighting faces at each other
and just aching for war. But there
has been no war because neither has
been prepared for war, and neither
has made hostile alliances to the
other.
81 am a reformer, but the only re-
form that 1 am interested in is the
establishment of peace. Neither
the temperance reform nor the child
labor reform interests me, although
l hope each will go on to something
better. | have enough common sense
left to know universal peace will not
come in my time, but l do hope for
a small share of it, But l do know
how 1t will come. 1t will only come
in returning and rest, no prepara-
ton for war, a decay of intense ma
tionalism and a belief in the unity of
the human race"