Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-02
THE UNHEROIC
DOVE OF PEACE
War Cannot Be Conquered by a
Sword Of Steel, but Only by
Symbolic Sword-Dra-
matte Engineering

" The course of time various methods of
L stopping war have been advocated, Mr..
Ford seems to believe that war can be
stopped by request. Others are of opinion
that horror will do it. Common sense dis
poses of the first proposition History Is
against the latter notion.
In the intervals between wars. says George
Brandes, people imagine that the world has
gone to rest and that wars from now on are
impossible. Because optimism is considered
necessary in order to make life endurable,
we think 1t is the chief virtue which gives
us courage and strength. People do not like
to look truth in the face. If war breaks out
in spite of all our earlier denials of its pos
sibility or its probability, optimism comforts
the fighting parties by assurances that this
war Will bring in the rule of righteousness
on earth and thus be the last OF the wars"
The Horrors of Peace
The pacifists and the militarlsts are the
extremists and seldom meet on common
ground of argument. The militarists, as
William James said, do not deny the bestial-
ity of war, nor it's horror nor it's cost-they
only say that these things tell but half the
story" They only say that the war is
worth Them And while the pacifists are
pointing to the horrors of war the miltarists
are pointing to the horrors of peace
So neither side makes converts among It's
opponents
MIlitarsm is a state of mind and so is
pacfsm.
Every argument leads nowhere If It does
not lead to the central point of William
James moral equivalent"
"In the more or less socalistic future to-
ward which mankind seems drifting we must
still subject ourselves collectively to these
,Ial,
upon this only partly hospitabe globe We
must make new energies and hardihoods con-
tinue the manliness to which the military
mind so faithfully clings, Martial virtues
must be the enduring cement: intrepldity,
contempt of softness surrender of private
interest, obedience to command, must still
remain the rock upon which States are
built"
But for drifting toward that better time
We must substitute mastery. For the Fear
which animates the preachers of militarism
and the preachers OF pacifism we must sub
stitute Love. For the old habits of working
off the spiritual energies OF the race we must
substitute other habits That is good psy-
The schemes of the pacifst and the mill
tarist are alike utopian in spirit. The aim
Is social welfare.
ground But he gives the moral equivalent
Of war only name, not symbol War has
it's symbolism. it's pomp. its spectacle its
flags, Its music, its drums These things
ca tch the imagination; they are dramatic
hypnotic. They visualize the idealism of
war. What has peace for its symbol? A
meek. anemic unheroic dove. There Is no
appeal to the heroic in a dove Must peace
be content with an important symbol? Must
the moral equivalent lack the imaginative
appeal, the dramatic force of war?
The existence of "moral equivalent" is
not enough. The name, "social service" or
'civic honor" is not enough. What then?
Why, the ineffectiveness Of the fighting
armies of peace? First. says Percy MacKaye
In the North American Review. because they
are not properly organized. And second,
heir functions are not properly symbolized
TO achieve these two great objects mu-
ually related" continues this practical poet,
may well become the function OF a new
profession Of the twentieth century-the pro-
'ession Of Civic Engineering. To
achieve the first object. Organization. win
'equire the directive insight OF one who may
lptly be called the Political Engineer: to
achieve the second object symbolism. win
'equre the Dramatic Engineer"
Mr.. MacKaye illustrates the task and
method OF Dramatic Engineering by ref
,renee to the Pageant and Masque of ST
louis" He says:
The task OF that production. successfully
achieved by the cooperation and partlclpa-
tion OF a great modern community. was one
which truly involved the art Of the theatre
as an expert form OF civic engineering. Dur
ing its preparation, its vast-scale activities
leavened the people with the moral equlVa-
lents OF war: self-sacrihce. solidarity, ener-
rfz xsrIl mill M 70 ,i,gl,
these were truly attained and have partial
ly been retained during the months which
have followed.
These objects. moreover, were truly and
splendidiy xymholzed to the people BY means
Of the color. music. paseantrs- dramatic con- !