Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-02-01
World Peace and the
Peace of the World

We have read with intense interest
the novel and ~farreaching suggestion
of the president of the United States
relating to a world alliance TO- the
securing and safeguarding of the
peace of the world. We have notedI
with keenness the various opinions
Of the great editors and others here
and abroad concerning it. Especially
the reception given the idea here in
our own land. These opinions or est,
mates vary greatly, pro and con,
Personally Uittle citizen that | am
/ cannot entirely sanction the idea
either as regards an enforced cessar
ton of hostilities between the war
ring powers or a post-bellum alliance
of the nations of the world that would
involve the new world and the Unit
ed States as the leading power there
Of.
am like an editor over in Paris
who stated the thing was simple but
to make it likely in it's application it
would require the reforming or chang
ing of human nature, etc. Somehow
we feel, Mr.. Editor, like this writer.
| doubt personally the possibility of
a guaranteed peace with guns and
torpedoes, submarines and sea mines.
d~readnaughts on land and water,
great forts mounted with monster
death dealing machinery everywhere,
ters of thousands of men drilled for
no treaty, no pledge, no law, no rule,
which has not beer violated by men
and nations, nations are simply men
in numbers. There is noYpower: earth
cannot be resisted, there is no author
ity which cannot be ignored. The
United States is composed of a union
of integral states. The right to Sc
cede from this union on the part of
one of these states once came w for
a settlement several of our states Sc
coded from the union. They We're
coerced into submission were over
powered and kept in the union. How
over it took time, men, means and
g~eneralship of high order to- fotce
them to remain in the union. Nov
as sure as you live, sir, any state can
at any time to secedes fraYn this union
7sRd lfsa-6umber of states ban.i to.
gether in the deal it would make an
other wal for our Uncle Samuel To
drive them back into the fold. So.
IL seems to me as regards the werld's
union, only with a great scattered
union with greatly diversified utter
ests and IDEAS, and a very wide range
of geographical situation, ctc., the
chances of secession would be that
much greater.
All the laws in the world agaicst
stealing cannot stop stealing. The
fundamental process to stop stealing
is by teaching men not to steal, by re-
meying conditions and temptations to
steal.
believe that to guarantee TO POS
terity world wide peace will be best
accomplished by properly teaching
-
the rising generation ,anti-war ideas.
The altr1lism, the lofty nobility. the
exalted honor, the great sense OF fair
ness, the supreme unselfishness. the
mighy love of the Man of Nazareth
will do more to stop all war and all
causes of wal than any world alli-
ance. II is possessed OF the only alb
solute power.
Frankly. | doubt the wisdom OF an
alliance on the part of this nation
with any old country nations. I ques-
tion ii the wisdom, the statesmanship
of George Washington is yet obsolara.
trust that our nation will only take
such a step as limited by our presi
dent after great elaboration and with
the full consent of a decided majority
of our people. have strong faith IN
the ultimate verdict of the great body
of common people in this country.
Once upon a time, SO 1t lis related,
in a certain place a crowd stood upon
a railway station waiting the arrival
OF q tram. IN the crowd was II
certain man, who took on his hat and
coat and stepping out. declared he
could lick any man III town; nobody
stirred. The fellow then stated he
couly lick anyone IN the county; no
body seemed to resent the statement,
Then came the declaration that he
could lick any man In the state. a
long. strong ms darted out his way
came IN contact with the said gen
tiernanss Uranium and landed him
sprawling prostrate on the planks:
He finally righted himself, looked out
upon his fellows and calculated Col
ly I took Id too much territory that
time !, let lis be exceedingly careful
That this nation does not take in .too
much territory.
t.A+F ~ IN. A6f AA 0I