Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1916-04-13
AS TO OUR DUTY AS A NEUTRAL.
(GoOdWin's Weekly

(Goodwin's Weekly)
: When two men engage in stree
encounter, outsiders who have n
interest in either one of the fighters
In the interest of peace and the de
cencies of civilization, interpose an.
lstop the mad men.
The war beyond the Atlantic ha
been raging for the best part of tw,
years. Each day it seems to in
crease in vehemence and implacabl,
hate.
Brooding over the destruction o
life and property, out of the sorrow
and despair no feeling is apparently
awakened except desire to charge
all the wrong upon the enemy, and
to strike for revenge.
When the storm first broke upon
a shocked world, our country hasten
ed to declare itself neutral. Since
then discussion has been limited to
the rights and duties of neutrals.
That is not what is done in case
of street fight
In that case the assumption Is
that the fighters are temporarily be-
side themselves through anger, and
it is right to restrain them.
While that is impossible In great
war, the principle behind it is the
same, and there is way to inter
pose. 1t is our belief that no nation
OF 1O0,OOO,O 900 free people, has
right to confine its efforts to in
in time like this, to
find whether this or that power has
any of it's rights as neu-
trail 1t shold in every legitimate way
be interposing to try to stop the
the waste and the sorrow.
We think that President Wilson
should, long ago, have asked con-
gress to join him in calling Peace
congress, either at The Hague or
On our own soil-say in Washington,
with the supreme court to steady it
% discuss and if possible to decide
upon what new laws are needed to
prevent if possible further wars, and
should have invited all nations, in
Guiding those at war, to send dele
gates to that congress. Further, that
zach of our forty-eight states should
lave been invited to send their very
lblest men, regardless of party or
reed, as delegates. Such congress
night be failure, but on the other
land it might be great success. 1t
night formulate a code that the ma
ions now at war might accept as a
,asis OF settlement of their own diff
erences, rather than to go on as
hey now are going on to utter ex-
austion
At least such a congress could
raft a new international code which
5 much needed.
One branch of the present war is
far into Asia, close to
he places where three thousand
ears ago ambitious and cruel rulers
that through scientific war
are they might conquer and rule
he world, and pursued that work un-
1 it's recoil finally destroyed them.
ust beyond where they fought and
erished after making such desola-
on, that recuperation has been In
ain through centuries of waiting,
lere are four hundred millions OF
eople who are today ready to swarm
ito new life, and following the
lie that has always prevailed. When
ley do swarm their way will be to
le west. This makes the present
ar in Europe, with its filled graves
nd empty cradles all the more
licked, for every man in Europe will
. needed to oppose that wave when
is set in motion, for when that
ar comes, enlightenment and Chris
anity itself will hang in the awful
alance.
And while what our country could
,, II attacked is an important and
,rious question, what we as ma \
on should be doing now in the in
rest of peace and enlightenment
Id justice, as becomes. our place a
I'd the mercies that have been ex-
nded to us is a still more grave b
Id important question.
pvtNc 70 ccnTcu THE c