The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-17

been grai.ficd when locking at what we called
the embelshed uniforms of soldiers. But we
saw tneu only in their dress suits Now we
know that the real uniform OF the soldier is
mud aud blood Both young and old then. Will
have the real meaning of indeilibly stamped,
their hearts
Secondly it Is teaching us the impossibliity
or humanizing war War is essentially hell ana
vain will he the efforts OF any man to change
IT'S nature .Ns well try 10 human!zc ca pital pun
ishment by using choroform to put the criminal
10 death to try to humanize by reduir-
ing men to slaughter one another with par
ticular weaponE 1t is the taking Of lire I'm pun
ishment 81 crime that makes capital punish
rnent essentially barharous and 'inhuman. In
the last ANALYSIS is waEed to settle disputes
by killing men. And il really makes little cff
ference to mer wh9ther they killed by
dum-dum bullet a regular bullet. The Hague
Conference Thought it accomplishing some
thing along this line when set forth the rights
of neutral nations and prescribed the instru-
ments If death to be used In warfare But the
war is mockiuC their work. Libraries, churches
schools. bridges homes and hospitals shelled
and burned, cities sacked, nonCombatants ruth
scssiy slaughtered fields devastated, children
mutilated women vlolated--in sort every act
Of barbarsm found in the savage wars of Attila
md Ghengis Kahn has either its equivalent
count errart in the present war.
Thirdly, we are forced TO see the impotency
Of science to prevent It seems that all
the genius OF the has gone into this mighty
conflict. Men have been compromising chemicals
In laboratories and inventing machines in their
shops, all Of which have made us marvel Mt
their ingenuity But science has only increased
the dimensions Of Other great wars vert
fought on the surface of the land and on the
surface Of water. But in addition these places
Of conflict there Is fighting above the earth and
under the deep, How.tzers machine guns, toy
pedoes. dreadnauEhts. flying machines--what
products Of human genius to ba used for the
FIRST time In a great war We calling ourselves
civilized, heap odum upon the head Of the I'M
Itutored savage because he, with his tomahaNk,
scalped one victim at time But the modern
instruments enable men to remove tho heads
from few hundred at sweep Science does
mot necessarily touch the heart. lntil II Is
ethicized by Christian ethics science will only
increase mans ability to carry out the Internal
and mal;gaut schemes Of his heart
Fonrthly. Il is showing the fallacy Of the
argument, In time Of peace prepare for war
War will certainly come IL two conditions are
met namely, believing that it is ny to
settle disputes and preparing for 1t. Surely the
ma lions Of Europe met these conditions in the
fullest sense For decades TREY have been think
ing of war. Year after year men have been drill
ling and drilling The tourist passing through
lthe European countries would soldiers in the
making transfixing imaRinar. enemies with bay
onets When q nation would hear the target
practice Of its neghbors It, too, would begin
target practice. A nation seeing others adding
To their armament would itself make additions.
Preparing for war enEendered fear, hatred,
jealousy and envy. II was fear that caused
Ia despotic power and 3 republic 10 get together.
II was fear that caused England and France,
hereditary enemies. to get together. For the
same cause the triple alliance made. The nj
liances not directed toward the pFeserva-
ton Of peace, but against common enemy.
The nations prepared for in the tino OF
peace. II came. and great Is the coming Of It.
Until nations put off the armor OF Caesar. the
sword and mail. and put on the armor OF Christ.
Hove and brotherhood, they win be scourged by
war.
These lessons written on humanity's scroll
with the blood of our brothers viii the
lions OF the earth learn them?
L. w HENDRTCKSON
New Haven, Conn, March IA. 1915.