New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-24
PUTTING OUT THE WORLD fIpr
Lacking Fire Department, Ii Il Err
Ones Duty to Lend a Hand
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

0 tne EllDOF OF Inc lflnune.
Sir: Recent comment on the Pre.is.
Cincinnati speech has encouraged me- 70 -
the following, suggested by Spencer, ~n,..
Of Ethics;
The evolutionary experiences Of tie hp-..
race, through ages Of unconscious rroo,,,
under the inexorabls law Of survival go
fttest,' has imposed on every indlvisn,,
group, community or state this fundar.r,.,
moral ob.gstion: Strive with all en.rgv a.,
resource at command 20 achieve tho,. .,,.
that will best promote the welfare Of Ma,
kind.
That group stands the best chane. o, a.,
viving which, adapting the resources o. "a,
ure to serve its own needs, adds 70 Il. :.
sets the good will Of its neighbors By h,l,.
ing them TO do the same thing.
Using such forms and expedents a, ~.-.,
best suited 10 the intellectual capacity o,,.
people OF his time, Jesus Christ s:ro,. =
impress this law upon the minds OF hl,,s
lowers
In any family the rights Of any indiyis,,,
member Of the household consist only az o..
consideration by the others that the best ~
fare Of the whole family requires. With a.,
consideration from others rests a correro,S
ing obligation: a duty 70 consider and "a A..
for others so as 70 most effectively uron.,.
the welfare Of all. Fifty years later. sb,,
the children have become grandparents. ,,,,
the head Of a family, In the comnun,,
formed the rights OF any one family erav,
consist only of that consideration by -.
others that the community welfare r.ouIr..
and with these rights rest corresponding a..
legations, az in a household. Whether "a
hundred years IL Is village, with these 70.
ciprocal rights and obligations partially car.
lined in village ordinances, or in two hu,.
bred years a state. with constitution and sor.
erning laws, or in five hundred year. xori
group OF nations, with vague and imperiee,ly
enforceable international law" the princivl,
remains the same. The rights OF any one "a.
ton OF a world group consist only Of ,hr
consideration by the other states and tier
people that human welfare requires; ul
with that consideration from the others rssa
the corresponding duty 20 show such cons1
GRAFTON and TO act for other nations and Their
people so as 20 best promote world eiVilIa.
ton.
Under this fundamental law, II in any con.
munity or group Of states a movement prs!s-
dicial 10 human welfare breaks out, Il is n.
duty Of all 20 help check and repair h.
wrong. If il be practicable 70 do so.
Neutrality toward harmful strife Is %.
litical policy or expedient that is justifsbl,
only while il may be mpracticsble to take q,
active part and get results commensuns
with the cost II is privilege due to u,
weak. but never a right Of the strong
While many editors discuss at length Arr.
ica's neutral rights under international lss
most of them seem 20 forget that tovr:
harmful strife no powerful state h. ry
right to be neutral.
Whether active part means war, reprai
or diplomatic argument must depend on Z,
tyne Of mind which guides the forces OF rl
For success in diplomacy based on reas''
and Justice IL Is necessary that the party ~
preached shall not only be amenable TO ri,
son but also willing that justice shall preva
In human society when one party seen =
persuade another to modify its course, -
most effective way is 20 speak in the lac.
ouage of the listener. Thus II the chief
a foreign state imposes his will on his nels,'
hors bv means of powder and ball, then u .
more powder and bigger balls that VIII Eia
him be most effectively convincing.
No one will deny the moral obligation
any man to rescue his neighbors child fr's
burning home if it is practicable 70 % 81
No one will deny his obligation 10 hep Or
0anize a fire department in the village 10 Or
der TO more effectively reduce the loss in'
suffering by fire. And no one can plead nH
the non-existence Of FIRE department re-
lieves any man of the moral obligat'n "
help queneh the fire and save the child "
can.
The world needs a fire departnsaTi
league to enforce peace. Acknowledgment
the need of such a league is scEnoTeos
ment Of the moral obligation to help orgsi'
ize one. But the non-existence Of suea
league in no way excuses any community
state for not acting with all energy and re-
source available, under the moral oblissti''
now existing. SHADE OF sFEN'LA
Detroit, Mich, Nov. q. 1915.