The farmer and mechanic., 1915-11-02


with nobody and nobody threatens
war with US, while meanwhile the
great powers" of the world are dis
solving before our very eyes.
In the United States, no one advo- |
Gates disarmament under present con-
ditions For this there are two main |
reasons; it would not be done, and the |
policy of a nation should have contin- |
uity. A sudden change Of any sort
is likely to be followed by a sudden
reaction. Besides, the whole ar1na-
ment question is only an incident in
international conciliation. The intro
duction of fair play in place Of diplo-
macy would do away with senseless
rivalry. Nations are not attacked be-
cause they are unarmed. nor let alone
because they are heavily equipped. In
so far as armament effects peace, ma
tions are mostly armed through
rivalry. and armament rivalry Is the
drst stage OF war. The forces which
make for peace are. primarily, to be
faw-abiding. second, to be just and
helpful Over-armament is a posi-
tive danger, as the conditions in Eu
rope show. Armament is a means to
victory. and victory implies war, with
math Of hate.
The peace-workers OF the world do
not constitute a sect of a party. No
one controls them, and no one can
speak for them. Some are bt nded
into societies, some are free lances;
some are both Some Of the societies
have neither funds nor dues Others
control a certain amount OF money,
most OF it the gift of two far-seeing
citizens Of our republic. These gifts
make possible occasional world d-con-
crosses. but the work done quietly by
journalists, teachers, pubicists
preachers. business men, correspond
ents, soldiers sometimes. men and
women not enrolled in the register
as "pacifists." often leads in effective
ness the various forms OF organized
effort.
In general. however, the peace
workers are for peace at-any- price 4"
when the price is one we can easily
pay. This sneer, / believe, was first
aimed at Wellington, and we may ac-
cept it. We are for peace at any price
until. as in Belgium. war and peace
mean the same thing. What we urge
is to count the cost. We would see
the price-lists first. We would not
rush into war with a whoop, to make
our calculations afterwards. If in the
final reck oning. war is cheapest count
ing life, money, morals, honor, ma
tonal integrity, we will stand for war
those who are young enough, are at
the front. for in this crisis there
seemed no road to peace save through
the havoc of war. Matters are quite
different in our republic. Apparently
war cannot come TO US unless we &C
out after II.
And the peace worker hopes tc
forestall war. to find honorable means
OF delaying it, and to delay is to pre-
vent. For the war party of Europe
could never have Uverthrown civil au.
thority save by the rush of haste
To most OF US. war is not a natura.
phenomenon coming OF itself as a so.
cial or political necessity. It is a mae
outcome Of individual political blum
ders and sins of the aftermath Of Sc
cret and unfriendly diplomacy, to b,
cured by letting in the light of day.
We want no fighting "at the drol
or the hat" The peace-workers o
the world have never been blind t.
the dangers ahead. They did no
prophesy a great world war. but the,
were we'll aware Of the military rival
ries, made acute by the seizure Of Bos
MIA in 1908, and further accentuate
by the acts OF various nations sine
that time. They knew perfectly we
the scheme advocated by retired mem
bers of the general staff and by jour
nails under control OF armament cor
poidllOuS. L 1ey were warned Inat tn
seizure OF Belgium and Holland, c
Calais and Boulogne was under cor
temptation. with an indemnity frol
Paris to pay all war expenses. Bt
these plans vociferously promulgatei
were not taken seriously by the bus
ness men of any nation, least Of a
In Germany where such men ha
most to lose.
Peace is not negative thing. ti
absence Of fighting. 1t is war Whic
is negative, the absence Of peace, tt
failure of law and order, of religie
and science. Of morals and industr
or every condition which makes f,
progress in the individual or in IL
race. this is war. Peace is the norm
human condition, the condition whit
allows personal happiness and CO
structive work. War is sometimes u
avoidab'e. sometimes by comparis,
laudable. bat it's sole function is rui
Tt brings destruction to prosperity