Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-02-05
"Prepareditis," Says DR.. D. Scudder in
Comment on Nation Wide Movement
EDITORIAL in The friend by Pastor Of Central Union Church


, icy will be ready to adopt it if she is
only true to it in this critical testing
time. Lincoln's homely saying was
never more applicable in the history OF
mankind than to US now-'it is not
best to swap horses while GRO 3sing
the river"
Cui Bono.
Much of the pleading of the aIvo-
Gates of preparedness is an argu:nen-
tum ad hominem, a rhetorical ques-
suffer the fate of Belgium, although
suffer the fate of Belgium, although
at the close of this war any thinking
is in danger of a foreign war and
nation may find Belgium's plight far
preferable to Germany's not reckon
ing the restoring sympathy of the
world which will help King Albert
build up a nobler nation. The only
other contention is that our country
must be ready therefor. If there is no
reasonable likelihood of armed con-
flict, thee tEs plea Of IN. tn ilr"'"
men falls t. the ground. There are
two lines of support for the thesis
foreign war is not only possible but
probable" One of these is human
cupidity. America is rich. If she
does not arm herself other nations
are certain to attack her and steal
her wealth. Look at China. Umpire
pared, she has been looted by the ma
tions for generations. The compari-
son chosen is unfortunate in the ex-
IRENE because it leaves out of the &C.
count the real weakness of China
which is not lack of armament, but
woful dearth of moral power. If China
had been a united nation like the
United States. her credits dominating
the world markets, her resources
splendidly developed, her people nobly
patriotic, educated, weather. per cap
ita than those of any other nation,
her international friendships strong, it
is uncomfortable that she should have
suffered, even in the nineteenth Gen.
fury, as she did. Before any one ma
ton had been able to exploit her and
so gained undue power, other nations
would have taken her part. AS it was
other nations did take her part, weak
in moral power though she was, and
saved the day for her, even though
she did lose certain outlying districts.
But this Is not the ultimate considera-
ton because If she had been morally
as powerful as she was populous no
nation would have dared to go to war
with her in the hope of a permanent
conquest.
Again it is begging the entire ques-
ton to conclude that after the pres.
ent European conflict, nations will re-
vert to even nineteenth century con-
ditions in exploiting weak powers.
Nor can America be compared to any
of those that have been exploited dur.
ing the past 100 years. We peace
men have a right to hold that this war
will cure the powers of the grabbing
habit. The Teutons have learned a
tremendous lesson in their failure to
conquer a single nation. They have
overrun much of Belgium and Serbia,
but their tenure is doomed. They arr
teaching the world that wars of con.
quest are practically ended on earth.
Our nation has not the slightest cause
to fear incursions of robber powers
after the end of this war
Who Will Fight Us?
Fear of theft being unreasonable
there is only one more support for the
advocates of the thesis that we are in
danger of war. That is that Japan or
some of the European combatants may
attack US. Some months ago when
the Teutons seemed to have the ad-
vantage, vague suggestions that the
United States might have Germany to
reckon with were heard. But if there
be any one thing certain today it
is that the central European states
are bound to lose in the end and be
rendered hors de combat for at least
two generations. Chased out of this
refuge the war fearers have begun to
hint that we must look out for Brit
ain. 1t shows how desperate they are
for resources of dread, when men urge
that America has any possible cause
for suspicion against the other great
nation of English speakers with whom
our relations are as assuredly friend
ly as different sections of the United
States are with one another. The
moral bonds which unite us with the
British empire are indissoluble. To
believe this is to assure its truth and
any one on either side of the Atlantic
who tries to shake this faith is play.
ing the part of a traitor both to his
own nation and to humanity