Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-02-09
PUBLICITY MIGHT
PREVENT WAR.

In the interests OF an lntelnatlohai
court. of peace, John Hays Hammond
Washington, chairman of the world
court committee, and DR.. John Wesley
Hill. New York, president of the IN
ternational Peace Forum. addressed
the Indiana Legislature at Indiana
polls yesterday.
Publicity is what is needed in IN
ternational affairs said Mr.. HAM
1nord. publicity, we now Know
would have prevented the European
war. That is evidenced by Germany $
admission that the lineup OF powers
was far different from what she en-
pected."
While the Gazette has never adj
vocated the initiative, referendum or
recall, planks in the platforms OIL
some political economists, nor does
II believe it would be advisable to re-
fer everything the nation is about 10
40 TO a Pretorian Guard, as was the
case when the Roman Empire was
in a state of decay, the publicity plan
suggested above, will appeal to many
nj this time, after the peace-lovihg
masses of the world have had such
a rude awakening.
IL is said to he fact that tnou-
sands of Russians who fought the
Japanese ten years ago had not the
slightest conception of the issues
which brought on the conflict. lhey
we're ordered to fall in by their supe-
riors and led TO slaughter as cattle
would have. been. .lariyssa lpte the
sbambles. A native of Russia now
resident of Alexandria, who LETT
tho home of his birth, made TINS
declaration recently And what is true
Of Russia is doubtless true OF othel
nations now engaged il! 1ea1ul
ciash If arms. 1t was graveiy stated
~ dispatch from Europe re"
DAYS ago which referred to the ike
,,hood of Portugal entering the wal
that the great mass in that. country
ware utterly ignorant of the causes
.ybich have precipitated the com
bat.
To, over forty years the chahcei-
ln,;es of Europe have been preparing
ror .hostilities. Several times during
those two score years Russia has
been ready to spring at Austria Ger
,,.rv nj France,and Italy at lur-
,or while the Balkan States nave
mobolized their armies ana n'aoe
ro,dy for hostilites against each
other, Cool heads, however. kept the
nations apart by patching up tempo.
rarv armistices, and while the Worlo
was on the brink Of this volcano 'he
millions of pacific people planted
;,,ilded, married and were given IN
marriage, totally oblivioas to the tact
iha+ they were rearing children to be
c,,t down at the threshold of life upon
;,,.tle fields. In scriptural parlance'
.b,.v knew not until the food came
,nd swept sons from the fires'de,
.n1 husbands from wives INTO the
borrible vortex of war.
The great mass of the people OF
tho world were totally ignorant OF the
star chamber proceedings which have
suddenly brought about TINS great
transition in a peaceful world. f'e'oS
have been trodden down, homes "e-
,,olisbed churches desecrated anu
millions beggared. Had the masses
;ipcwn what was imminent ol''c'"i'
dom might have had something more
serious to combat than sociahsh'
The murmurings OF those dessiheu y
suffer most from war would hsl '
crown so loud that some means Woais
have been adopted to prevent war.
While literally there are no Sucs
things las tin soldiers. the fact tina
the prsat mass Of human beings nov
facing Seach other with glitterme
tayonegs are ready to exciaIm
HNhatSiis it all about" rerifes TIL
Query of Benjamin DiSraeli in one o.
his novels. He asks, and what arr
we all 'but automatic in the hands Q:
master wire-pullerS?
q I - - o. :