Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-14
WAR

I'm time of war prepare for peace" is a
tendency gratefully apparent in the Decem-
Der magazines. This inclination is empha-
sized by contrast with the November maga-
zines in which militarism ran riot, In gilt
tering arrays OF statistics, descriptions and
analyses OF causes.
or rs articles in II of the leading maga-
zines and weeklies FIVE are concerned with
peace, 15 are neutral three present the AL
lies point Of view and six argue for the
Germans. Herein lies another contrast to
last month, when out OF 20 articles only
three were for the Germans Evidently they
are applying their efficiency of which we
hear 80 much. to publicity as we'll as to
fighting incidentally. it is interesting to
note that leading citizens and officials
throughout the country are receiving at
frequent intervals bulletins direct from the
Bureau des Deutsohen Handelstages in Ber-
lin, arguing the German side of the case.
Ballots Instead of Bullets
The peace articles have the freshest in
terest. both as giving a later phase Of
thought, and as being n more hopeful sub
ject. 1t Is interesting to find in so staid a
magazine as the Atlantic Monthly, and by
writer with the high literary prestige of @.
Loves Dickinson, 'in residence in Kings
College. Cambridge. England" an article %
whose theme and message is quite as radical
as Bernard Shaw's Common Sense About
the War" the difference being that Mr. Dick
inson expresses the same truths in q less an
tagonzing manner. He begins
II believe that this war, like all wars for
many centuries in Europe, was brought about
by Governments without the conniyance and
against the desires and interests OF the people:
that II Is a calamity to civilization unedualed
uneNampied and perhaps irremediable and that
the only good that come out OF II is a
clearer comprehension by men and women OF
how wars are brought about, and a determi-
nation to put a stop to them.
Il believe II to be true that as the Germans
complain at every point the British have
thrown themselves across the German enter
prises under the influence of jealousy and fear
But the ambition OF the British being satiated
BY the acquisition in the past OF more terri
tory than they well know how to handle. they
have been acting on the defensive"
Mr.. Dickinson lays down two fundamen-
tails, when It comes ultimately to settling the
terms of peace, II there Is to be any hope Of
permanent peace:
First. The whole idea of aggrandizing one
aside Second. Give all people suffering and
protesting under alien rule the right to decide
whether they will become an autonomous unit
or join the political system OF other ma
ton" He prophesies that "A league OF Europe
is not Utopia, It is sound business. This paper
rs but a forerunner of active and general
propaganda on the subject"
Lord James Bryce we'll known I'm this
country for his exhaustive work on "The
American Commonwealth" as we'll as for his
many years service as English Ambassador
in washington, while not as unhattering in
his opinions draws radically democratic
morals as the lesson of the war. and inter-
prets them for peace He writes (2), ap-
propriately enough, in the midst OF this
world war. in cOmmemoration OF the cen
tury of peace between England and America:
THE moral of this 100 years of peace is: Give
time, opportunity for discussion and popular
control, II Is significant that since the agree
ment of 1917 neither nation has had naval
on the Great Lakes. Their absence
has been powerful argument for peace"
Roger Babson, the financial statistician, In
peace as Matter of Business" (3) gives
the prestige of his authority to a plan for
an international tribunal. originally sug-
gested by John Hays Hammond. The plan
calls for:
"Neutraizing all international trade routes
and barriers, placing all under the control OF
AN international commission, upon which the
nations shall have vote In proportion to their
strength. As any section, when armed. must
have a majority OF the able-bodied men above
p years in order to succeed in armed con-
hiot. there would be under such a form OF
government object in bringing about an
for bullets"