The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-04-06
Aunt Samantha
and the Doctor.
sY OR. FRANK CRANE
(Copyrieht. 1913. hy Frank Crane)

AiHcilS"iN Want 10 Go something.
When there is a fire they rush the en-
gines TO put il out; they do not stand
helpleSSly 10y and wiring their hands.
When there is plague of typhoid they
Go not commend their souls to heaven
and hope for the best they clean up.
When there is any kind of trouble they
try TO find out what is the matter. When
there is smallpox they vacclnate.
Americans are deeply stirred over the
European war. 1t has created a mighty
impulse 10 do something"
What If war should come to US? What
can We do 20 avert SO terrible calamity?
These are the questions of practical
people.
There is no use doing. however, until
we understand, When a man is taken
deathly sick Savages sound the drums
and howl and feed t:m outlandish herbs;
other kinds of sayages beat him with
clubs to drive the devil out; Aunt Sa-
mantha would administer corn-sweats
and calamus; perhaps Cousin Almira
would read the patient chapter sixteen in
her favorIte thought-cure book; but an
intelligent physician would first try to
ind out what made HIM i'll. and then to
remove the disturbing clement.
To protect ourselves from an attack
OF war infinitely more destructive than
leprosy, cholera, or The black death, We
arise and shout. Let us get busy at
once. We must 10 somethngW
And Immediately we act like savages,
or the aunt OF cousin aforesaid. We
mean vel but We are absurd because
We 90 not mteligenty Cd ask what
causes war, and 90 set about to elimi-
nate that cause.
The country is in fever of prepared
ness simply because that is the old-time
remedy Ii blood letting always has been
used. let us let blood, no matter whether
IT has invariably killed more than it
cured or not
The Gibraltar fact is that thorough
military equipment mas never saved any
nation, has destroyed every one of the
ancient nations (except China, which
never had it). and is now decimating and
bankruptng the nations who were ready,
or are getting ready, for this that the
German Crown Prince himself calls a
criminal and ''idiotic' war.
Over against the "corn-sweats and cal
anus" advocates Of huge battle fleets
and armies stands a movement, headed
by number Of citizens of high standing,
to organize a League to Enforce Peace"
The league includes such names rs Mr..
Taft, Nh Lowell Of Harvard, Darwin p.
Kingsley, Alton 3 Parker and the like.
1t certainly is not scheme Of wild-eyed
drcmcrs. such names are respected TO
degree.
The object Of the league is to create
a combination Of nations pledged to arbi
tration, and against any country that
shall begin war without patient dis
cusson beforehand.
The league is going at it in business
IKE way, organizing IN every state, seek
ing to include its plank in political plta-
forms disseminating its literature, and
otherwise propaqandzng practically.
1T is high time says one of its recent
circulars, by Samuel J. Elder, that the
world struggle passionateIy to find safe
guards against the recurrence Of such
war as the present The league does not
profess to work out all the details Of a
concert Of nations; that will be the work
Of time and Of many minds Only one
central idea is presented.
"If it were a pestlcnce instead Of a
war which in one year had killed off sew
era millions of the strongest young men
Of a generation and disabled many mil
lions more. the wisdom and science Of
the age would assurcdly devote them
selves to finding remedy or at least
some safeguards. The fact that men are
killing each other instead of being killed
| by disease should stimulate instead Of
paralyzing endeavor. Only towards will
say that nothing can be done about it
and that men have always killed each
L Al. -. Il al,