The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1914-12-03
TIME FOR PEACE.

I'VE LUX FEANE.
1t is never too early for the right
kind of peace. The Day of Prayer for
Peace was deprecated by many be-
cause they thought it premature. SIN
the interest of permanent peace" they
say, ''the warning nations must fght
it out until one side or the other has
won q decisive victory
But would that be in the interest of
a permanent peace? Would it not
rather perpetuate the cause of war?
1t is freely said that if Germany con-
quers, all Europe will be an armed
camp until the Allies can clay the
German spectre" Why is it not
equally true that, if the Allies con-
quer, Germany will increase its arma-
ments and plan for a day of revenge,
thus forcing Europe to remain in read
mess for another explosion?
1t is constantly said, and with much
reason, that war settles nothing. This
is one of the strongest and truest ar
guments against war. Why is the
present war, however prolonged, ex
pectad to settle anything?
What originates in wrong methods
is not to be remedied by continuing
those methods, but by reforming
them.
War, that ~stupendous curse of the
human race, springs from a wrong
method of settling disputes, the method
of force as opposed to the method oil
reason and law. War will never be
eliminated, but rather maQnifed, by
reliance upon force as a means of set.
Element.
Probably half a million have al
ready fallen. Every day the war is
prolonged carries unutterable woe into
thousands of homes. If nothing is
gained from it for the permanent ad'
vancement of humanity, every instinct
of mercy would urge an immediate
peace.
The loss of material resources is
enormous, the cost is almost beyond
computation, the destruction of the
works of genius and the memorials o.
the past is i~rreparable. and all this is
increasing at a fearful rate. Moreover
the passions of men are becoming hot
ter, and hatreds are springing up tina
are increasingly difficult to allay
War is insanity, and a prolongatior
of insanity renders a return to SAINT,
ever unlikely.
We had peace after Germany bea
France, and took from her Alsace anc
Lorraine. That val was "fought to
tinish," u fathers thought. How fal
it vas from being fought to a fnisl
the present enormously magnifet
struggle shows. 1t was peace, blu
only the fallacious peace of temporar,
exhaustion. That is the only kind O
peace that will follow the present war
if it is ''fought to q finish"
On the other hand, if peace i
brought about now, when neither sid
has won a decisive victory, then nei
Their side will feel dishonored by tn
event and neither side will be exalted
A basis may then be laid for a ration
al system Of European government
which will be an agreement anon;
equals, and not a rule imposed b
superiors upon conquered interiors.
The only peace that can be perma
nent will rest upon the establishmer
Of a Parliament Of the Nations TO
making international laws; a Jud:
ciary of the Nations, for the final dec
sion of International disputes; and a
Executive and Police OF the Nations
for enforcing the laws of the inferno
tional parliament and the decisions {
the International court. All othe
armies and navies must then be di,
banded.
The establishment of this rations
system must rest upon the reason an
conscience of men, not upon canno
and powder. The sooner reason an
conscience r brought to bear upo
the problem, and irrational method
are thrust aside, the nearer will be tn
happy consummation.
Providence has thrown upon th
United States the opportunity and th
duty for these proposals. Our peopl
can urge upon our Governments t
press upon the warning nations its o.
fers of mediation already made, an
to renew them not vaguely but as dis
tinct disclaimers of the irrational an
: ! brutal methods Of the past and pro