South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-10
NE VI FEDERATION
TO PREVENT WAR
League of Peace For Mutual
Defense Possible Result of
Present Conflict, Editor Tells
NOtre Dame Audience.

league OF peace for mutual de-
Tense. formed by four or five OF the
eight chief and half dozen OF the
secondary powers; the privilege OF
membership freely opened 10 all, pro
rata disarmament with the league TO
an aggegate strength slightly SUI
perior 10 that Of any nation OF ali-
ance likely 10 menace its integrity,
and the gradual enlargement OF the
league by an admission OF new ma
lions, until il becomes literally a world
federation-such was the plan for
stable future peace outlined 0y Ham
ilton Holt, editor of the Independent,
at NOtre Dame last night.
Peace is the outcome OF justice,
justice OF law and law OF political or
ganizauon," said Mr.. Holt Political
organization, therefore. is the FIRST
step toward peace and 10 now seems
as though the United States was des-
tined 10 play the leading role, after
the great war is over. i'm bringing this
world political organization about AS
the United States Is itself the great
est league of peace known to history,
a study OF its formation, first BY
confederation and then in our present
federation furnishes the clew as to
how the nations are most likely TO
bring about world unity"
The mob hysteria" for increased
armament within the United States.
MIR. Holt deplored in strong terms
THE argument that the engineTy OF
war is becoming 50 terrible that Ii
Will stop war through very horror.
and its cOrOllary that war can be
stopped by making people afraid of it,
are great fallacies.' he said. Courage
we all share IN common with the
brute, and SO long as men are not
afraid to die ornaments Will serve
only 10 beget counter armament and
10 provoke war. However much pro-
lection they afford TO a nation when
war is in progress. they are none the
less Instrumental in bringing that war
about
a great Increase Of ornaments for
the United States would, for three
reasons, be particularly uuWise at this
time. In the first place the great ma
tons Of the world. Japan alone eX-
cepted. viii be completely exhausted
at the end of the war. Even ii they
were net well disposed towards us
they would, except Japan. be in no
condition 10 attack And Japan is
leaving no stone untuued TO retain
our friendship. i have learned that in
Japan myself
I'm the second place armaments
even If necessary, WOuld bc "a use
less expense until military lessons of
the war are better learned shall We
build more BATTLE ships There is
some evidence chat "a battle ship is a
thing OF the past Japan has just am
EounCed she viii build no dread
naughts this year. shall we build
forts. Forts no longer protect men.
Men have to protect forts as witness
Nerdun. shan we build air craft and
submarines? Possibly. But no wise
man would advise Plunging in this
respect until the lessons of the war
are better understood.
Lastly and most important the
United States would by increasing
her ornaments forfeit the position Of
leadership held by her throughout the
history Of the peace movement and
10y present circumstances made one of
peculiar opportunity. We cannot both
foster militarism and advocate peace,
at the supreme moment when we are
called into mediate at the wars end.
why might not Woodrow Wilson,
therefore. do for the world after the
81 { var something similar TO what
George Washington did for a CONT
nent after the revolutionary war If
ne does this, he Will have added TO
the Declaration of independence a
declaration of interdependence."