The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-18
THEN WAR ENDED.

destroyed and men had been slaugh-
tered on scale never before known.
| The interruption Of commerce and the
suspension of agriculture and manu-
features had inflicted losses and suf-
fcring understandable. And, though each
of the contendng nationalities had
been seriously crippled, none was yet
MORALLY struck. Therefore, as none
could gain a complete ascendency. the
conclusion OF hostilities seemed as re-
mote as II had at the opening of the
conflict.
Ivan. and Hodge. and Francois, and
Wilhelm continued. along a battle
front of two Thousand miles to kill each
other in the most disinterested and
expert fashion. with the instruments
provided by highly developed science.
At home their brothers and sons pre-
pared TO take the places Of the dead,
while the women and old men ad-
justed their habits to unaccustomed
labor in the fields, and vainly sought
to comfort their troubled minds with
the unfounded argument that because
their kinsmen's names were not in
the lists Of the dead their bearers
| had been spared to kill again.
Such was the situation on May I.
when the ruler Of each nation en-
| gagged in the war. every Minister Of
state in each OF them. and every news
paper and periodical which had sur
vived the unnatural conditions i'm
posed by the war received a note, Of
which this Is n copy:
| Unless on or before the fifteenth day
NJ this month there Is proposed a seri-
Gus and practicable plan to end the war
now In progress, your youngest child. or,
in case you have no family. the individual
most dear TO you. Will be executed.
Naturally. the newspapers did not
print this extraordinary communica-
ton. nor did the officials to whom II
was addressed allow It's contents to
become known. II was looked upon
as the product OF disordered mind,
and In a time when threats against
exalted personaGcs were received al
most hourly. IL attracted little atten-
ton. Some of those to whom Il was
addressed heard nothing of It. and
Ivan, Hodge. FRANCOIS and Wilhelm
continued their Wholesale killing with
entire good will
But on May 16, there having been
1
no indication that peace was contem-
plated by those who make wars but
do not fight them. in the house of
every individual to whom this notice
had been sent there was mourning.
In each establishment one individual,
child, sister, the mother. the
fiancec. lay dead; done to death
brutality. rcmorselcssly and unpity
ingly, by knife. or poison, or bullet, or
rope or brdgc7n. And on each body
there was found a note that said:
Unless on or before tho first day OF
June there ia proposed serious and
practicable plan 10 end the war now IN
progress. the individual next In your az.
lection will be executed.
The most effective machinery for
the suppression Of facts could not en-
tirely conceal these tragedies. Efforts
were made to hide the causes of the
deaths, hut as the victims exceeded
200 in number these were not com
pletely successful. The threats that
were left on each corpse had in mos,
cases to be communicated 70 those a,
whom the stroke was aimed The
previous warnings were recalled
Through those mysterious channels
that persist In spite OF war and war
alarms. the ruling classes of each ma
ton learned of the blows that had af-
fiicted the others
Ivan. and Hodge. and Francois and
Wilhelm continued with signal gal
lantry to kill each other along two
thousand miles of battle front.
In spite Of the precautions that
against whom the second threat was
directed. on June another series ot
murders was recorded Again in each
official family one harmless and inno-
cent member was assassinated: tive
hundred more infants and women. old
men and invalids. had been dos.
patched. and on the breast Of each
WAS "A note:
Unless on or before the seventh dav n
juno there "a proposed u serious ami prAc
tlcable plan 10 cnd the war now ,r FROG
ress, the Individual next IN your affection
viii b" executed
Concoalment OF This disaster was
impossible. Tho newspapers could y,
buliied into silence, but men would
talk By word OF mouth the uows
spread from city 10 hamlet, from ham
lot to the rcnottst districts. mat
war upoI war lad lad rs toll Of sud
den death on those who make wars
but do not fight them.
II reached the firing line where
Ivan. and Hodge and FRANCOIS ard
Wilhelm were preparing r. perfect
good temper. 10 kin each other.
hut Ivan, and Hodge, and F'raNcois
and Wilhelm wcro not 20 hc allowed
to continue their not wholly d.S,astc-
full work. on june and June :
there was such an Interchange ut
communications between the rulers
of the nations and the officials OF tn,
nations as had never before been
known What had appeared as in
superahle difficulties disappeared rs If
by magic. lrrcConCiabe differences
faded to nothing. Unaltorahle ambi-
tons eliminated themselves without
attracting attention. In furty-clght
hours an armistice was proclaimed
within week ENJOYS were arranglnr
for n peace conference, and inside oi
u month, Ivan. and Hodge. and Fran.
co.'s and Wilhelm were following the
ways that led 10 their homes, withou,
a thought of killing each other, unC
completely content 10 devote theil
minds 10 other subjects.
Those who make wars but do not
fight them had learned something Of
what war means