Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1916-01-21
CONGRESSMAN LEWIS
TALKS ON WORLD PEACE
Shows the Need Of international
Government.
ANARCHY NOW REIGNS.
The American Constitution a Model
tor the International Community.

ernment League. the Hon. David ]
Lewis, Congressman from the Sixth
dlstrlct of Maryland, gave a very
| thoughtful address last night at Nc
Dowell Hall ST. johns College.
He was introduced by Prof. John b
Rippere, vice-president of St. Johns
College, in the absence Of DR.. Fell.
Professor Rippere first presented Mrs
| Robert Moss. who spoke briefly of the
| purpose of the meeting and the appro-
| priateness of a World-Peaee talk fol-
lowing closely upon the recent debate
| on Preparedness lin this very hall be
| tween st. Johns and Delaware College
Mrs. Moss also expressed gratifca-
tion at having on the platform Post
master and Mrs. r. J. Linthicum. who
represent the Parcel Post system. OF
which Congressman Lewis is the rec.
/, ognized father She announced that
parcel post packages would be on sale
at the close of the meeting.
Congressman Lewis gave clear
| exposure of the fallacies of militarists
For centuries" he said. "the advo-
Gates of militarism and apologists OF
war have justified them on illusory
maXims One Of them is that military
or naval power spells commercial
power or economic advantage That a
great navy implies a great maritime
commerce. This is happily wholly un
true Great Britain has the greatest
fleet, but her commerce. even before
the war, did not in terms of population.
equal one-third that of Norway. with
no such feet. 1t is prices that determ-
inc the flow Of international commerce.
not ships of war Prices determine
sales, and in obedience to this plain
condition little countries like Switzer-
land have been taking the markets
away from British merchants in the
British colonies.
GAS a matter of fact il is the least
military of the nations that possess the
greatest economic strength. Even be
fore the war, Russian IL per cent
bonds sold at 81, while the like bonds
of Norway sold at 102. The 3 pen. cent.
bonds of powerful Germany sold at 50.
while those of Belgium sold at 90 Nor
dofcolonies spell economic advantage
The value of Spanish bonds have
doubled ON the market since we took
away her colonies and buried her navy
in the Caribbean and Pacific seas
Military power does not mean econom-
ic strength or advantage. and the war
like nations are not the most pros
porous nations of the world.
"In modern times war, apart from
its inhumanity, has lost its logic. Cen
turies ago it might have promised
gamblers chance of gain to the victor.
He could profit il he won He could
make slaves of the conquered popula-
ton, confscate their property. and
work them unpaid. But this is all past
Human nature does change, you see.
He cannot enslave the vanquished and
he can only confiscate public prop
erty, such as roads, streets. court
houses. schools. But since he has TO
maintain these when he takes them
there is no advantage even in confsca-
ton. In modern times this has also
proven true of colonial conquest. Colo
nies spell no commercial advantage in
our day There is not colony in the
world which confers any business adj
vantage on the governing country. We
know that of our colonies. Rather
they are a bill of expense, and just a
fearful anxiety England knows this
too Not one of her citizens has been
made a shilling richer by her terrific
rial acquisitions. During the Jubilee
an English beggar on the streets OF
London was heard to say:
81 own Canada. the Australias,
colonies in Africa. and the islands
of the far Pacific, and here I am,
|, starving for crust of bread. T
am citizen of the greatest power
of the modern world, and all peo-
pie should bow to my greatness.
But yesterday asked aims of a
negro savage. and he repulsed me
with disgust"
a wear of war has cost great Britain
and Germany each five billions of dol
lars. direct monetary outlay alone.
That is about the value of the British
| and German railways; and probably
represents the expense to the other
warning countries. There is not one
country that will not be poorer than
when she began the war. War cannot
now be made profitable even to the
victor. 1t is cheat as well as a crime.
But. we ask. if war is Improbable.
/ grossly unprohtable. if it is atrocious
/ and inhnman. besides. why is it still
| resorted to? This question brings us to
/ the real and responsible cause of war.
I 10 the cause of this war What was its
/ cause? Iy answer is that it was in
1 ternationaI anarchy, the absence of
government. primarily in the relations
( of Austria and Serbia, then its absence
generally in the international relations
of the neutral and warning nations OF
the world.
Anarchy. We know. TO be absence
/ Of government Now what is gov
! ernment We ind it TO consist of three
! functions. the legislative which pro
vides the law. the rule of conduct for
the parties governed. conforming to
j which. in their civil relations, they can