The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-01-21

Under the head Of "War and Mans
Duty" the Scientific American sounds
the hope which is we'll nigh lacking
to prophecy that the time may come
when wars will cease to be, consider
, ed entirely proper and fitting:
1T is probable, strange as it may
appear, that America, in virtue OF her
non-participation in this World War,
is more impressed by it's sheer fool
ishness than any of the nations en-
gagged in it, In Europe ones realiza-
ton of it's idocy is largely swamped
by ones patriotism. Europeans think
of their men dying in the trenches, OF
a glorious bayonet charge, of HUN
dred local but intensely interesting
and stirring episodes, and in Their
pride, rage or terror, they lose sight
of the larger implications. Europe is
too close to the picture to see it; too
busy fighting or scanning casualty
lists to philosophize. But this Is
Americas opportunity for the inaugur-
alton of great world-league of intel
lect.
The whole tribe of politicians, diplo-
matte and high official people of all
kinds have blundered. Again ana
again we have had warnings of their
Incompetence; their failure to grapple
with social problems; their ignorance
of the things which count-the scien-
ces and the arts. Surely no man who
has studied these questions can
doubt that a vastly improved social
system is, even now, possible. But
who has made it possible? Not the
politicians, not the diplomatists, not
the great military figures or the great
aggressively acquisitive financlers
The great writer's in Europe and
America who, by sheer hard thinking,
have shown us the possibility of a bet
ter state of affairs than the existing
one, have been private individuals for
the most part; men who have looked
upon our present muddle and hated it
with that divine hatred which endeav-
ors to destroy in order to recreate.
We plead for the conscious and
powerful banding together of all such
men. There would be scientific men
who are something more, men like
Oliver Dodge; philosophers who are
something more, like the late William
James; novelists who are something
more, like H. G. Wells; chemists who
are something more, like Wilhelm Ost-
valid. These men have intelligence
sincerity, and power-the greatest
power, the power of influencing public
opinion. They are incompatible pro-
pagandists. We want to add to their
number. Let their colleagues and
rivals take hand with them; let the
scientific and artistic communities
throughout the world become self-con-
scious; let them band together and di-
rect their activities to the one great
end.
So there would grow up, within the
ostensible framework of our present
self-seeking political governments, a
real controlling and directing power,
molding the thought of the world un-
til the irresistible pressure of public
opinion made our political leaders,
our Kaisers, Emperors, Senators, and
what-not, follow the lines mapped out
by clear and honest thinking, thinking
they have neither the desire nor abil-
ity, as their actions prove, to supply
themselves. This is no Utopiah
dream; there are already indications
that some such movement is afoot.
And America, in virtue of its very de-
tachment, can profit by this war to
supply the great initial impulse"