The Detroit times., 1915-11-24
This Is COuntry's High
est Duty, Boston
Man Declares
SPEAKS BEFORE
COMMERCE BOARD
Time Is Ripe to Move
for World Peace,
He Thinks

ulhlit III al ahNltoo ~ lHoulbtlb VI
the Board OF Commerce AT the regu-
lar luncheon Tuesday. sounded
note OF warning TO American bust
ness men on the after effects OF the
present European war economically
The title of his address was e.,
nomic effects Of the war and Amer
icah business" And in A. he recon-
mendod economic pressure rather
than huge armament as guarantee
OF permanent peace. He said in part.
american business men are funda-
mentally interested in the effects OF
this great wer, AS business men
We cannot fail 10 forCsee that IL this
war Is settled, as all previous wars
have been. without providing for
some means other than war for deal.
ing with international disputes,
there will be aided to its enormous
charges the still greater continuous
charges due 10 rivalry ia ornaments
and other preparations for the next
war. or as il Is commonly referred
10, the next settlement" Under
such conditions. We are forced 10 be
lieve that the European nations, aft
er the war, will be faced with the
iusjstent need for re-establishing
their industries at almost any sacri.
fee IN order to keep up in the race
for armaments and TO obtain means
for settling their debts so as 10
keep their credit good for the next
war.
Predictions by students OF affairs
AlreaAJ abound that these neces-
stiles viii cause them TO make sacri
nces OF natural profits, lower their
scale OF living, and so create COM
petition of uneSampled severity
competition which also would be par
ticularly omlnous for our higher.
wage market, that so far has suf-
fered least
Increased taxation in the warning
countries may have momentous
political result; for the attempt TO
distribute each taxation in a man
ner satisfactory to the masses Of the
people is an attempt that has often
IN the past changed governments. In
any event, all these things indicate
the possibility OF the growth OF
revolutionary spirit among the mass
es In Europe, with the danger Of q
reaction on certain sections Of
American labor.
IF n bad settlement and increas-
ing armaments follow the war. Il is
probable that the United States will
not be free 70 determine what In
crease II any she Will make in her
arIaaments. but many may be forced
into an abnormally great increase.
with sponding taxes and other
burdens
81 have been converted to Pre-
paredness' by my study OF conditions
since the war began | am there
fore not making a plea against Pre-
paredness, but only. calling attention
to. the dangerEof our beiaR forced u
abnormal Increases, greater than our
judgment would warrant, greater
than the best Interests o. our. coun.
try would sanction.
Have seemed 10 draw an over
pessimistic picture? II has not been
my intention 20 do so. NY desire
has beer 90 point ou; conservatively
but definitely the conditions that viii
probably prevail at the end OF the
war unless there is right settle
ment
I'VE come. therefore, to the basic
questions: What Is a right settle
ment?" How can the United States
help to bring about such a settle.
ment?" A close study of the history
OF wars and governments Will show.
A river flowing southwaTd between
high mountain chains will not sur
denly turn md flow into a northern
ocean, ant just so surely. govern.
ments have been tending 20 substi.
tuition OF law for war. within ma
tions we have already achieved II.
internationally we must establish 1t
n We are TO nave stable conditions
for the development OF civilization
Forty-four OF the principal nations OF
the world agreed TO this IN 1907, but
failed 10 agree on the details. With
the added compulsion of the expert
ence OF this war IL seems likely that
now an agreement can be reached.
The campaign heretofore f1r the
substitution OF law for war has been
based so much on sentiment and i'm
practical theories that we business
men are afraid to approach Il as a
practical need and as practical way
out. Moreover. we are slow TO see
that, however impossible II has been
In the past, yet the world has now
reached the stage where Il will be
for the selfish interest OF the war.
ing nations TO favor the substitution
OF law for war TO the greatest prac-
teal degree, in order that they may
avoid the same fate that befell the
Balkan states when after having won
the victory they made war among
themselves over the terms Of settle
ment.
THE statesmen Of the world. the
internationalists and thinking men OF
the world, are almost unanimous