Evening journal., 1915-06-17
BRYAN CONDEMNS
THE WAR APOSTLES
Preparedness the Kindling"
and Opportunity the
Match" That StartSWar
LAUDS WILSON
FOR PEACE MOTIVE
By The United Press.

beCOuQ SldicmtHl Oh tue CduSeltSS
war" issued here today.
That preparedness is the kind
ling" and opportunity the match"
which set the world afire with war.
is another declaration Of Mr.. Bryan's.
He also sets forth the assertion that
military unpreparedness on the part
of the United States is one of the
chief reasons we are now at peace.
The former secretary's latest COM
munication is lengthy, in all about
1900 words. He sums up the causes
of the war as not based in race,
creed or family hatred and draws the
conclusion that rivalry in wrong
doing" competition in armament
among the nations now at war was
the most fruitful cause Of the con-
hict.
THE United States" says Mr..
Bryan, lis without excuse for enter
ing into a mad rivalry in preparation
for war. We are protected on either
side by thousands of miles of ocean
and this protection is worth more to
us than any number Of battleships." 4"
AS If to offset reports that he is
not in accord with the President. Mr.
Bryan closes his statement with an
other appreciation of the efforts OF
the White House to preserve Ameri.
can neutrality.
Happy for our nation that we
have in the White House. he says,
"a President who believes in setting
the Old World a good example, in
stead of following the bad example
II sets in this matter What an un-
speakable misfortune it would have
been. If in such an hour as this. the
nation had been under the leader
ship of a President infamed by the
false philosophy which has plunged
Europe into the abyss of war"
The statement was in part as fol-
lows:
"The conflict now raging in Europe
has been described as The Cause
less War but since no one would be
bold enough to lay the blame for such
an unholy situation upon an overrul-
ing Providence. il must find its origin
in acts for which man and man alone
is responsible.
Race. religion and family. each
with many wars TO answer for. can
plead not guilty in the present in
ouiry.
If have correctly analyzed the
situation, the war is the natural re.
suit Of a false philosophy The
fundamental precept of this fa.se
philosophy is that Might makes
right
The individual makes this maxim
his excuse for violating three COM
mandments that stand in his way;
this maxim also leads nations to VIC
late the same three commandments
for the same purpose. but on a larger
scale.
"Covetousness turns to might as the
principle to be invoked. and the
greater the unlawfu, desire. the firm
n the faith in the false principle.
Conquest is the word used to de-
scribe the means for securing the
thing desired, if the force is employed
by a nation, and conquest violates
he commandments shalt not
steal and Thou shalt not kill
"By what sophistry can rulers con-
vince themselves that while petit
larceny is criminal, grand larceny is
patriotic; that while it is reprehen-
sihle for one man TO kill another for
his money. 1t is glorious for one ma
tion to put to the sword the inhabi-
tants of another nation in order to
extend boundaries?
"As in the case of the individual
the violation of the Commandments
Thou shalt not covet-'Thou shalt
not steal and Thou shalt not kill.
are usually traceahle to the violation
of the first great commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods be-
'ore me'-that is. to the putting oil
self before service of the Creator
THE soldier always exhibits un-
selfishness Of a high order. but. as a
rule, conflicts are waged for selfish
ends.
''If have made it clear that the doc
trine that might makes right is tn
most common cause of war, we ma,
pass 10 the consideration of a maxim
quite sure to be applied in war, namely
Like cures like the theory upon whicl
retaliation rests.
"1here are many believers in the COS
pei Of force who have brought them
selves to think that cruelty can b
cured by greater cruelty-that the onl,
way to win an antagonist away from
inhuman acts is to surpass him in inhu
manities Absurdity Of absurditiesl
There was a time when men openli
advocated war as thing to be desired.
'Now. all join in the chorus for peac,
And how, according to the iingoes. shal
peace be insured? 'Bv preparedness
say these sons of Mars Stand wit
finger on hair trigger musket and pre-
serve peace-yes, preserve il until some
one. by accident or desipn-gives tn
sienal-then all fall upon each othe
with cries for blood.
"Halt the energy employed in prepar
ing for war would effectuallv preven
war if used in propagating the princinle
which make for peace.
THE doctrine that prenarednes,
will prevent war will not stand IN,
test of logic and the confederation ir
Europe shows that II fails wher
tested by experience.
"If any nation is without excus,
Tor entering into mad rivalry Will
the belligerent nations in preparation
for war IL is the United States.
"The leading participants in the
present war are the nations that wers
best prepared and fear it woula
have been difficult for us TO keen out
of this war if we had been as well
prepared as they.
Happy for our nation that we have
In the White House al this time 4
President who believes in setting the
Old World a good example instead OF
following the bad example which il
sets in this matterl What an un-
speakable misfortune it would have
been. if in such an hour as this, the