Norwich bulletin., 1916-01-19

GEN. VIM A. AIKEN.
 That justice, truth and righteousness stand paramount to the temporary saving of property. or even of human life, is the stand taken by General William A. Aiken in the paper which Broadway Brotherhood at the January meeting in the church parlors on Tuesday evening.
 Pacifism vs. Preparedness.
 The meeting opened with prayer of- fered by Rev. Edward s. Worcester pastor of the church, and then General Aiken read the following paper on Pacifsm vs. Preparedness.
 I fail to find a definition of "pacifism" or ''pacificism'' in my dictionaries; ap- parently a freshly coined word to which the world war gives currency.
 Its fullest application is to those who write and speak from this fundamental standpoint--'War is the sum of all evils; therefore, peace, at any price, Is better War is hell-therefore, of course, to be avoided, at all costs The logic of that interesting writer Norman Anger and of the Rev. pr. Charles E. Jefferson, whose works may be found in the Otis library, lead to the above conclusions.
 Fortified by such convictions, the Ford band of crusaders sail out to lay their gentle hands on the embattled for their Christmas enfranchisement, thus marking both the magical power of their love and the embecility of belligerent kaisers, kings. chancellors and parliamentS. War does indeed seem to summarize | all the evil passions of human nature while yet calling forth the highest and most unselfish attributes of char acter. On the whole, we hate 1t, and would avoid it by every honorable means. - But we cannot subscribe to the doc- | Urine that wars are never necessary; nor that they are always an unmixed 1 evil.
 Can we regret the long years of struggle of the United Netherlands | against the cruel rapacity of Philip l Second? Ought Europe have meekly submitted to the yoke of Napoleon Bonaparte, without resistance? Were | the American colonies wrong in resist ing, during seven long years, the tyran- | nies of George Third?
 Should the north have tamely suh- l mitted to the doctrine that the union I was but rope of sand, and that, what ever it was. human slavery should be Its cornerstone?
 I think we should unite in but one answer.
 l The argument of Norman Angell is ! based on the economic wastefulness ot war, in men and material; that of Rev
 Dr. Jefferson, on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles.
 The full adnnittance of their prem tses almost compels their conclusions
 My general answer to AngelPs con- | tention is that in last analysis, justice
 truth and righteousness stand para
 mount to the temporary saving O. 1 property, or even of human life. Tr Cha ,,i-I -I-
 admit the ultimate doctrine of peace and good will to men," not forgetting
 however, the clear predictions of <thi
 Master that nation should ris' against nation and kingdom agains
 The path to universal peace wa.
 stained with His blood, and since, tt
 this day. by that of "a noble army O
 martyrs
 How can it be otherwise until mel
 are taught the lesson that might doel II not make right, that the will to pow,
 CT" is not the Christly will; that thu
 superman is not worthy the sacrifice Of all other men, and that the state
 is not the car of Juggernaut undel
 whose wheels men and women and lit
 tie children should lie down witl
 smiling and abject obedience Cor b,
 thrust down) to die.
 As in the days of Patrick Henry
 as during the darkest periods of ou CIVIL War-SO now there are those Whi
 cry Peace! Peace! when there is n'
 peace" and can be none until deciSiv, results are reached.
 Decisive Of what? you may ask.
 answer, decisive of the issue joined be
 tween militant autocracy and democ
 racy as the universal governing prin
 c1ple and power in this world for gen
 erations to come.
 However friendly we may feel tow
 ards the people of all or any of tn,
 contending nations. how can we avois the conclusion that, in the event O
 peace, the safety of Aeutral nations |
 involved along with that of Englant | and France?
 This is specially true of Holland an, l cause of her situation and the immens
 value of her great seaports, to com merce or in war; of the uaited State l because of our wealth, our helpleBgne@ as an antagonist on land eapecially
 and,. above all, because of our Monro doctrine as now defined.
 So great is our wealth, not only ll coin and bullion, but In natural TO sources, agricultural, industrial on
 mineral, as to make us a tennptsnl reservoir for recoupment for the un
 caesurs ososs os or os as ork s sv nn E
 would Involve the immediate contrc
 of hundreds of millions of Eold an silver in it's bank and treasury yauitI Our naval defenses once avoided or dc : feated, all our ports and their neare ! inland cities woNld lie at the oaptcr' ' mercy. The most concise modern lrsterpFeta z ton of our Monfoe doctrine Mvexe-i ] the words of former diatlnRuishe
 secretary of stRte-that athe Unite
 States is paramount on the wester | continent
 This doctrine ls not, ana never ha q been, formally accepted by Europe 6 Germany dlatinefly repudlates |, 1 Her most powerful sthteHHan af n diplomat, Prince BiamaFif is rs