Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-28
WHY WAR

(By Frederick c. Howe, commission
err of immigration at the port OF New
York-one of the nations ablest writ
ers and thinkers-whose new book,
why War;" (Charles Scribner's
Sonsl shows how modern wars result
primarily from the conflict OF powerful
financial interests among the various
countries. And he warns us that the
danger to this nation is a danger from
within and not a danger from without.
We must protect ourselves against the
Vaccinations OF our own huge combi-
nations OF capital ever seeking monop-
oily profits. He writes, IF we take
adequate precautions against the foes
within the country we shall safeguard
ourselves against those without.")
Modern war is the result of a com
bination OF explosives much as a thun-
derstorm is the result of a combina-
ton of unusual atmospheric condi-
tions. The spark may be ignited in
Berlin, Petrograd, Vienna, or London,
but the explosive combination is like
ly TO be found in obscure portions of
the world.
The cause of the present European
war is not 10 be discovered in the
White book, the Yellow book, or the
Orange book; the war did not originate
in the capitals of Europe. even though
the first overt acts were there commit
ted.
The war is not the result OF pat
riotic uprisings on the part of the
people, of the over-crowding OF popu-
lation. of any social unrest at home,
or a national desire for overseas mar
kets.
The war is not the personal war of
any ruler as were the wars of Fred
erick the Great or Napoleon, as were
the wars of Bismarck so years ago.
In its final causes it is not a war
OF aggression or defense, as were the
recent wars of Germany, Austria, Italy
and France.
When the history OF the war is fin
ally written these forces will be found
TO be of secondary Importance.
The real cause Of the war is to be
found back of the summer of 1914; il
is to be found in the new economic
and financial forces set in motion in
the closing years OF the last century
The present war and the wars of
the past 10 years are the result OF end
less conflicts and suspicious. of
baked ambitions and fears of diplo-
matte overreachings and injured dig
nifty of a thousand irritations that do
not appear in the diplomatic CORES
pondence.
Present-day wars are primarily the
result of the conflict of powerful
economic interests radiating out from
the capitals of Europe, which. with the
foreign office behind them. have laid
the whole world with explosives which
only needed a spark TO set all Europe
afame
Surplus wealth seeking privileges in
foreign lands is the proximate cause
of the war Just as wealth seeking mon
opoly profits is the cause of civil con-
ficts that have involved our cities and
states.
1t is the struggle of high finance
bent on the exploitation Of weaker
peoples that has turned Europe into
human slaughterhouse and arrayed
4o0.000,000 peaceful people against
one another in death struggle.
When the story of the war comes to
be written the origin will he found
hidden in the diplomatic victories AMI
resentments over Morocco and Turkey
rather than in the murder of the Arch
duke Ferdinand; it will be found in
the aggressions of British, French. anu
German finanCiers and concession
seekers rather than in the ambitions
of the car and kaiser. it will be
found in the struggle for the exploit
tatiOn Of weaker peoples, of whom no
less than 140000,00O together with
100000 square miles of territory
have fallen under the dominion of
Great Britain, France, and Germany
during the last 80 years.
These conflicts have been on a til
tanfc scale. They have led to the end |
ing of the liberties of free peoples, to T;