The Detroit times., 1916-03-07
THE FIGHT
Ov On. FRANK cNANx
Copyright. Ie1S. By Frank Crane,
Is it necessary to fight?

U Is. Lie Is q night every step OF
the way. There are none exempt in this
war. And there is no discharge.
Why then are some called pacifsts?
Accurately speaking there are no
peace at any price" men. A pacifist is
simply one who opposes the causeless,
foolish wars between nations. Such wars
are never begun by the people them
selves, but are brought on by evil and in
competent rulers.
Who are the real enemies we should
fight?
They are the destructive forces Of ma
ture. the obstructive forces of custom
and tradition, the evils of ignorance. and
the dangerous perversions of human be-
ings, including ourselves.
Are our fellow men our foes?
In strict sense, never. The natural
normal relation of all men is one of CO.
operation. 1t is only error, ignorance
and perversion that we should combat.
The fight is not to destroy our fellows,
but to rescue them from error.
When the whole world recognizes it's
brotherhood the fight will have Just be-
gun intelligently.
For instance, the storms of the ocean
must be fought. We conquer them with
great ships and powerful engines, and
make them let our cargoes pass.
BY steam and electricity we overcome
the obstacles of distance. Every trans
continental train is magnificent
triumph of man fighting against the lin
itations that hamper him.
By antiseptics by cleansings, by serums
and medicines, by knowledge of the con-
ditions of health the army of scientists
rout those microscopic enemies that de-
stroy life. that decimate cities, and that
bar our progress in the tropics.
The army of ministers fights our great
oppressors, Despair, immortality, and
Brutishness, that seek to enslave us.
The army of the press maintains cease
less war on ignorance, provincialism, mar
rowness, whose work is feud and fury.
Itearing down the works of men and
bringing poverty and decay.
The army of laborers fights the un-
toward forces Of nature to wrest food
from the soil and to bring to mankind
fuel, tools. clothing, shelter, and all the
commodities that enlarge life.
The army of merchants struggles to
distribute these goods.
The army of courts, lawyers and
officers of the law contends against the
elements of injustice, fraud. and vice.
In all these directions good men and
true in every land are allies. French
men and Germans fight side by side.
The pitting of the people of one ma
ton against the people of another is
monstrously wicked,
They who stir up nation against ma
ton are traiors in the greater war of
man against his real enemies.
They are fomenting conflicts between
brothers while the common enemy is at
the gate.
The real mollycoddles, towards, and
sissies are they that are afraid to face
the truth, afraid to trust their brothers.
afraid to combat their own lust and
greed, afraid to commit themselves and
all their interests to the supreme powers
of cosmic righteousness.
The bravery that can shoot and stab,
march and hurrah, actuated by mob pas
sion and race hatred, is cheap and plenty.
The bravery that stands for intelli-
gence against rampant popular igno-
rance, for humanity against national
Ivanity, for cleanliness. kindness, and
helpfulness against the dirt, graft, cruel
ty. and destruction of such war as the
one now in Europe, is rare enough.