The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-09-21
o. q. Towne In Discussing Issues a
First Christian Church, Points
Out Weaknesses TO be
Avoided.
CHURCH HAS CHANCE
They Can Preach Peace and Empha'
size Right Principles to Crowd
Out Petty Jealousles
and Hatred.

z o. u ~ ( T.
In discussing the situation existing
In Europe at the present time. O,,rB
Towne. who spoke yesterday ut the
First Christian church. dwelt some
what at length upon the necessity Of
maintaining a neutral attitude. This
is not our quarrel, he suggested. In
fact, we have no part In the quarrel
of the contending nations. II Is the
duty Of the American people to refrain
from antagonizing any Of the peoples
involved, or in any way involving our
nation in the present controversy.
The conditions existing in Europe
are the results Of long continued; 1eal-
ousies. prejudices and international
hatreds, Mr.. Towne declared. They
have been augmented by the action
OF governments In fortifying the In
boundary lines IN the most
formidable manner. Armies and nav
les have been increased beyond the
comprehension Of the average individ-
ual. Jealousies have been created be-
cause of the industrial. commercial
and agricultural development Of the
nations of the eastern hemisphere. It
has been a constant growth Of hatred
during the last half century, smold-
ering of the war spirit engendered by
hatred and prejudice.
and It only took the spark Of an as
sassin's revolver to cause the whole
seething mass to burst into flames.
Lesson for Americans.
"The people of America may well
read a lesson In the conditions which
have existed and which now exist up
on continental Europe" he said. ITO
be sure we have on the North Ameri-
can continent over 1000 miles Of in
ternational boundary line without a
single fortress and without q single
gun. The boundary line between Can
ada and the United States is the only
boundary line between civilized ma.
lions, anywhere in the world. that Is
unguarded except by the great feeling
of friendship. brotherly sympathy
and cooperative interest OF the kind
red peoples.
Americans, however, need not feel
that they are entirely safe from mis-
takes. The present condition in
Europe Is the result Of failure on the
part Of our twentieth century civiliza
ton to meet the demands Of the times
Something Is wrong in our application
OF the principles Of christianity and
brotherly love. II our faith and oul
trust, our christian fellowship and
our brotherly love were all they
should be and were what the Master
wanted them to be, sectional hatred
prejudice, bitter provincial rivalry
and apparently undying international
hatred could not exist.
should Not Court Trouble.
I'm our own country we are con
stantly reading Of the efforts OF Ger
tain individuals to create trouble be
tween America and Japan. Japan
and America are friends and have
been. And the surest way for the PEG
ple Of the United States to get into
trouble with them Is for them to wor
nv and talk about It continually. We
do not wish to have 1t proved that
the civilization Of the entire world has
failed and that the failure Is vital
The thing for the churches. the broth
erhoods and church societies to do Is
to preach peace on earth, good Will
toward men-to emphasize more and