The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-12-24
THE ADVERTISERS SEM.wEEkLY |
Preachers and
Preparedness

upon the proposed naruang OF armed regions IoE
defense? Are they united in pursuing the idea of
peace and do they in the European object lesson
"a stern warning against the training of soldiers
These questions naturally occur at this tir1e for
when the press of the country and the pulpit of the
country have been canvassed fairly good idea may
be obtained of the exact state of public opinion
| Now the press Of the country is fairly well united
behind the preparedness idea for America Al few
simpering editors continue to revel in high-fown
metaphors and soulful outbursts; but the serious,
sober publications are pretty much of one mind. So
far as the preachers are concerned, their natural
bent is toward matters of the soul. They may be
credited with predisposton for the beautiful peace
ideal. And in fact, what ideal is more alurng
brotherhood of man, end to these red carnivals
which upset the equilibrium of civilization, is a con-
summation most devoutly to be wished. Bestial war,
soulless mitarsm Surely these foes of the
righteous foes of Christianity, foes of all that is
best in humankind.
| We know from admissions how some Honolulu
preachers and partial of the preachers of
the mainland has been made. This latter shows amaz-
ing results Queries sent to the Presbyterian min
listers of thrty-nne states by The Continent have
brought results calculated to startle those who have
been contending that hardheaded militaristS and m
milton manufacturers the principal disciples of
greater preparedness. Some of these preachers are
clinglng to the peace dream, but the overwhelming
ma or!ty have reached sturdy conclusion after sum-
ming up the facts. They have that while the
American people are for peace the remainder of the
world is not highly cultivated in that tender field
of soulful endeavor and that we must adjust our
selves to this same world
| One eminent preacher Rev. Charles c. Albertson
outdoes the most ardent of the secular preparedness
opponents After confeSsing to Quaker ancestry,
Rev. Mr. Albertson proceeds, in his answer to The
Continents query to lay out regular plan for Ma
tonal preparedness. He goes into details, number
ing his paragraphs and presenting the whole of his
conclusions in matter strangely suggestive of a set
of war department orders. He would strengthen the
coast defenses, build up the navy with heavy craft
submarines, dirigibles and aeroplanes. He would in
crease the army to 100000 and recruit the mill
tia up to half million fully trained citizen soldiers
Not even our militant secretary of war would go
that far. The boldest opponents of preparedness
would not increase the Army beyond the 10000
mark Another preacher, Rev. Basil R. King, of
Bellare, Ohio writes feelngly the ideaISpf peace
and denOunces war in bitter terms He foresees the
day of peace on earth and urges that must work
earnestly toward that Christian goal. But he sees
Americas impotency in this hour One nation, says
Few. Mr.. King, cannot wisely disarm. Consequently
cshould make sufficient preparation under existing
cirCumstaI.- es for National defense.
The peace extremists view is sounded by Rev. Viii
liam M FinCke, of New York City. who Iclieves that
America has divine mission to lead the nations out
of the darkness of war Accordingly, our present
force is sufficient to provide Americas quota in the
international police system which he foreSees as the
successor to great armies. To increase our arma-
ment at this time would be to indicate lack of
faith in the plan which we might put forth when
the war is ended.
Complete disarmament by the United States is
! favored by seventy-two of the pastors They pre-
fer to risk the dangers of invasion rather than chance
increasing the country martial spirit But two-hun-
dred and sixty preachers enter positive mo- to this
question. Fifty opposed to any increases in Army
and Navy while two-hundred and seventy five stand
for sufficient force to withstand ordinary attack As
to the matter of teaching elementary military science
to boys two-hundred and thirty eight favor the idea
while ninety think that such would give the
American boy an appetite for Military drill of
every boy physically able, is the verdict of Rev. H.
Glanville, of Arkansas
Defense proPagandists should be able to gather
many epigrammatic utterances from the verdicts
on war written by the Presbyterian preachers Of
the country. Military preparedness is not neces-
sarily opposed to peace, said one. Man is still
wlcked-lt is imperative to make adequate pre-
paration to defend our country from the horrors
OF the invading foe, said another. Rev II. T..
Dobbns, OF California, reveals interest in the
technical side OF preparedness and joins the Brook
Ign militant with practical suggestions as to de-
tense plans laying emphasis on the necessity of
providing more submarines and aeroplanes " =
1t may be assumed that the Presbyterian
preacher is representative of the entire profess
sion in his view National ideas and ideals
Hence deduction that the pulpit of the coun-
try recognizes the need Of preparations for de-
| Tense may be made in all reasonableness from
the evidence at hand. Perhaps the preacher does
not preach this from his pulpit nor is it meet
that he should. The preacher is engaged in regu-
lating the countrys morals, rather than its mill
tary and naval policies. 1t is enough that he
express himself on these questions when he is
asked The average preacher is an educated man
and thinking man. Take him in the aggregate
and he Will not go very far wrong, for he has