The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-02
Action Serious and Otherwise

Sunday was Qay or aclisily III the Emergency Peace federation, with headquarters in Chicago, and in the Church Peace union, with headqaar- ters in New York. It was likewise a dav of stir in semi-military circles centering around Gen. Leonard ! VI ood's headquarters on Governors Island. with branch headquartYrs at sapamore Hill, Oyster Bay. Every right thinking man in this country is for peace-peace with non or. He is opposed to what has come to be known as militarism. Every patriotic citizen should be ready to join in hny intelligent movement seeking ko prevent war and miti- gate it( evils" But some good men men/6f high standing and influence ar( in times like these, when nearly zG Europe is on the battlefield, so Appalled at the brutality of war and so passionate in their advocacy of peace, that they acquire the habit Of thinking and speaking intemperately.
 At the peace meeting in Chicago one of the speakers, Morris Hillquit Of New York, gave utterance to this sen- timent: "The war shaking Europe has been caused by rivalry between capi- talists for foreign markets and colo nies. It is not war of patriots. It is war of traders"
 In assertions such as these we have species of demagogy far too com mon in this day and generation. The European conflict is not only gen. orally deplored but it is regarded as the cruelest of all modern wars. But who is of sufficient authority on defi- nitions to shade the difference be- tween the patriotism of people and a nations desire for trade expansion? In order that people may be con tented reasonable degree of con- mercial prosperity is necessary. Many a good man thinks he is performing a patriotic duty today when he fights for his country, even though the far. reaching motive be commercial ad- vantage. No country with teeming population dependent largely upon in- dustrial employment, can advance and prosper if the mills and factories are forced to close or operate at reduced capacity because of lack of foreign orders. These material things are closely related to that which is lofty and ennobling patriotism.
 But if some of the peace orators those who are for peace at any price are to be taken seriously, Germany and England and France are sordid and sordid only. For according to MT. Hillquit this is not war of patriots but war of traders. All such views and expressions are pernicious; per nicious, certainly, in so far as they assume to define the difference in ethics between the legitimate trader and the genuine patriot.
 In the New York meeting the tone Of discussion was more moderate than that which prevailed in Chicago. While the formal peace message" contained the usual measure of plati- tudes it contained not few admirable observations. At any rate it was a red leter day for the peace propa- gandists.
 Now, as for the military move 2 mentr that ran parallel to the peace agitation: A statement given out by General Woods aide-de-camp. unof- z ficial, but nevertheless alluring to Colonel Roosevelt and many other citi. zens stanch in their Americanism $ and .estless for camp life, outlined < ! plan for the foundation at once of the American Legion" 250, ,000 or 300,- { coo strong to be the first reserves