Evening journal., 1917-05-09


The desire for peace has rendered
most civilized nations anaemic and
marks a spirit of decay and lack OF
political courage
"The efforts directed toward the
abolition Of war must be termed not
only foolish, but absolutely immoral,
and must be stigmatlzed as unworthy
OF the human race"
Christian morality is based on the
law Of love, which can claim no sig
nihcanee for the relations Of one
country TO another.
Christian morality is. personal and
social and In It's nature can never be
political"
+ Recognized rights are Of course
often violated by political action. But
these are never absolute rights; they
are of human origin and therefore
imperfect and variable"
THE right OF conquest Is universal
ly acknowledged
THE individual is responsible only
for himself
AT the present stage of the worlds
history IL is, Of course, useless to seek
a practical policy OF arbitration. 10
would be a waste OF words to demon
strate the invalidity OF this device"
Men familiar with the developments
Of German thought knew OF such
teaching as this; but they did not
take it seriously II was regarded as
the madness of negligible fanatics.
During the past three years these
militarist principles, in general and
In detail have been put into practice.
Germans, schOoled in habits Of obedi.
ence, have acted in accordance with
them, though often, we are told, with
undisguised reluctance. The theories
OF Bernhard have been translated into
action oy Won Hindenberg.
This war was undertaken on prin-
ciples which threaten the security OF
all mankind; 1t has been prosecuted
by methods which represent a rever-
sion to barbarism. We have been told
many OF the horrors; the reality ex-
ceeds what we have been told Neven
IN the history OF the world has there
been a war characterized by more
acts OF ruthless cruelty and wauton
disregard OF elementary rights. Brut-
ally selfish I'm its inception, in its
prosecution It has been devilish.
The fate of Belgium is typical It
was this which opened the eyes OF the
civilized world That a worthy and
peaceable people could, In cynical
disregard Of treaty-obligations, be
invaded by 4 powerful army and and
exposed to all forms Of violent out
rage, first for reasons OF military con-
venience, then with obvious purpose
of conquest. was unthinkable. until
1t. happened. We had all wrongly as
sumed that the Huns were long ex-
tinct. The wrongs OF Europe. in |
France, Belgium and Poland, have had |
their counterpart in Asia, where "the /
unspeakable Turk" in the year 1915 |
alone, massacred for their faith among !
the Armenians twice the number of |
all the Christian martyrs In the first /
three centuries Our own national /
grievances are comparatively slight in |
comparison with those of others. The !
worst horrors Of ancient history have |
been outdone In our own times. The
bandit and pirate nations have been
running amuck.
With abundant Justification, there
fore, has the President at last sum
moned us as a nation to take an ac-
tive part in the suppression OF those
whom he calls "the natural foes of
liberty" That phrase gives the mo-
tive OF our entrance into the war. We
have wished to think ourselves cham
pions OF liberty; we have prided our
selves on readiness to defend our own
liberties; we have wished also to se-
cure liberty for all mankind. To en-
sure this the Prussian domination of
the Germans must be ended; the Turk
must be dislodged from his supremacy
over one part OF Christendom; warn
ing must be served on all ambitious
rulers and peoples for the future that
the free nations of the world will not
tolerate the INSCRIPTIONS activities OF
predatory powers The free peoples
are opposed to the natural fees OF
liberty
That means somewhat more than
that "the world may be made safe for
democracy" Democracy Is a mode of
government means, by which we
seek to secure liberty, as an end De |
mocracies have not always accom- |
pllshed this; great tyrannies have at !
times been practiced under demo. |
cratic auspices. (cf. LeclSy Democracy
ana Liberty. ! y. 1850. II we champion
democracy it is because we believe !
that II is most likely to secure the I
blessings OF freedom We wish our |
selves ID be free people; we wish
others TO share our blessings. We 1
nave entered the great war as apostles |
or freedom. We are allied with free
peoples in fight to the finish against
the spirit Of despotism. The world Is
threatened by the menace of robber- !
rule. We wish to do our part TO end
that rule now and the possibility of n
for all time to come.
we all wish to be neutral I'm DIFF |
ferences between our friends. when
neutrality is synonymous with 'malice
toward none and charity for all". but
there can be no neutrality between
right and wrong. no neutrality he
tween the forces which make and
make for war and those which battle
permanently TO prevent Il. In a sense
we are all pacifists, devOtees OF neace.
out we are very poor devotees Of
peace, II We play into the hands OF
those who are certain 10 destroy n
Ihat "pacifsm" which would denrive
US or weapons against the foes OF the
worlds freedom is a delusion and
sham. II is deplorable that the Prns.
SLAMS find useful allies and instrf.
ments IN the theoretical and profes.
sional pacifsts IN this country we do
not. perhaps. question the goodness
OF their hearts; but we can NOT FAN "a
deplore the weakness OF their heads
We may say boldly that to favor the
friends Of despotism and ruthlessness
in this conflict is to ignore the claims
OF our religion; and not to oppose
them is TO favor them. If there ever