Evening star., 1915-03-22
OF STATES BASED
ON WILL OF THE PEOPLE
American Nation Proves More Ef-
fective and Enduring Than
Government by Despot.
Rev. DR.. Charles Woods Views,
Given in Sermon, on Possible
Results Of War in Europe.

The end Of the world, radical changes
in the maps of continents or the rising
of United States of Europe" as re-
suits of the struggle in Europe. were
included in speculations made by Rev.
DR.. Charles Wood, pastor of the Church
Of the Covenant, in his sermon last
night on the religious and moral as
poets of the situation which will follow
the cessation Of hostilities.
States have voluntarily federated
themselves into a nation, not without
the surrender on the part of each Of
the complete confidence that from such
ing gains could be secured said Dr..
Wood.
Years of Unexampled Prosperity.
"A nation of states on this side the
sea has proved by a hundred and
thirty-nine years of unexampled pros
perity that a union of states founded
on the will of the people is more en-
during and effective than any conceiv-
able union of provinces founded on the
will of despot The United States
of Europe is not meaningless term.
Poets have sung about it and states
men have discussed it, but the neceS-
sity Of it has never been so evident
as in the lurid glare OF this war, and
the possibility of it has never been so
bright in all the history of humanity
as it will be to myriads of praying
souls after the war.
This monstrous war, that threatens
TO draw all neutral nations into a mael-
strom, may be sign that the end of
the world is drawing nigh. 1t may be.
on the other hand, merely an episode
in the history of humanity soon to take
its proper place in the perspective OF
the picture which, when completed. is
to tell the whole story of the career
of our race ON this planet.
Conhagration Most Terrible.
"This confiagration, moro terrible
than anything the world ever saw be-
fore, must burn itself out at last when,
like other confagrations, it has con-
sumed everything that can feed the
flames. But before that-and it is for
this we pray-the microbes of pride
acy which have inoculated mon
archs with madness may be exterminat-
cd In some unforeseen way.
1T is no longer possible to think in
terms that satisfied our Greek progen-
itors, philosophers as they were. Homer
and all the heroes of whose prodigies
he has sung were sure tho siege Of
Troy would end only when the gods
on Olympus had had enough of it.
When they were no longer amused
then they would signal to stop. Had
the modern Austrian Anchises, ven
cradle and wise, and the German AJAX,
virile and tireless. and the Russian
Achilles, invulnerablc except in one
point not yet detected, and the English
Ulysses, sailor by birth and training,
anu the French Hector. quick witted
and skilled at subtle devices, whether
Of peace of war--had all these stimuli
taneousiy and submissively looked for
some sign from heaven before they
flred the first shot, the sweet stiffness
of the worlds peace would not have
been broken.
Heart-Breaking Sorrow.
The God who is afflicted with all our
Affections, and who watches with pity
even the fall of the wounded sparrow,
has looked on the beginning and the
continuance of this war. in which hu-
manity Is slowly being crucified, with
sorrow like that which broke Christs
heart In the hour when Ignorance and
Self-will crucifisd him When at last
the end has come (and may it soon
come), and the thundero of this war
rumble family in the far distance,
tow ,ry;I