Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-09
T h e S e C u r Gty
Of NJ odern
Civilization

6x B1SAOE W. n. oA6ns
Some thirty years ago Hon. Thomas
F. Bayard who was then the Secre-
tary of State of the United States, made
notable address at Yale university,
which is of striking interest and signi-
ficance today.
In the course of his mastery speech.
the great secretary adverted to address
es of Bismarck and Won Moltke which
had just been delivered in the German
Reichstag pending the debate on the
army bill, in which addresses it was
contended that the safety of Europe was
entirely dependent Upon brute force.
Mr. Bayard poured scorn upon such a
sentiment, excIaiming, us that the end
of civilization"
Proceeding with his condemnation Of
the militarism of Bismarck and Won
Moltke. he said: us there nothing else
than armies that can govern mankind?
Is this the civilization which is an
nounced to us by the press from Ger
many tonight? May heaven forbid? It
can not be that brute force of military
power is to be the security Of any peo-
pie or the guardian of any civilization
which is to progress under the rule of
Christ"
Upon reading these words, uttered in
January, 1887, the first impulse is to
say Mr.. Bayard was in error and Bis
marck and Won Moltke were more prac-
teal and wise than he, But second
thought will show the contrary.
The rulers of the German Empire have
pursued the programme of force-the
plans of Notwithstanding all the thir-
ty years which have elapsed since 1887.
If brute force be the security of ma
tions, Germany ought to be safe. A
scheme was perfected TO conquer the
world, and every minutest provision for
the success of the scheme was made
with scientific precision. But the pro-
CRANE of force has not been successful.
and greater failure for IT is at hand.
Greater force has been aroused against
Teutonic force, and the war has now be-
come a war against war.
Unless mankind is incapable of learn
ing the lesson of this awful conflict; I'M
less the love of battle is an ineradica-
BILE instinct of human nature. we may
reasonably hope that the nations will
now see that war is futile and false
means for settling international dis
putes.
Modern science has discovered agents
and modern invention has devised in
struments of almost infinite power. One
nation armed with these devices can
protract through weary and wastafuf
years a conflict with many nations. This
indeed is what the German militarlsts
have done and are doing. They have
combined savagery and science in a form
almost invincible. And behold the horri-
BILE results! Millions of precious lives
have been sacrificed on the altar of
brute forcel Vast expenditures have
been made, and must yet be made again,
which stagger the mind to conceive or
compute! The programme of force is a
eNA
civilization can not be secured; il de-
stroys civilization. The burdens which
it imposes in a time of peace are intol-
cradle, and in this time of war they are
nothing less than hideous.
But we can not permit ourselves to be
deluded by the pipe-dreams of a puerile
pacifism. Brute force on its rampage
must be put down by force in order to
end forever it's brutal reign. A true
lover of peace, who has sense enough to
perceive the obvious, must give his
support to this war against war.
But when peace comes, men must not
be deceived by the notion that peace
will be enduring without anything else
is accomplished than the defeat of Ger
man militarism. That result will be a
very great achievement, and it is well
worth fighting for. But the peace fol-
lowing the war will be nothing better
than a protracted armistice If the world
does not recognize and submit to the
reign of righteousness. Scince will con-
tinue in the future, as in the past, to
discover agents of deadly destructive
ness and unreasonable power, and these
agents will be employed by selfishness
in schemes of aggression unless the ma
lions are purged of unholy greed and
domineering ambitions 1t must be so
IL he f11ra of ha
To make an end of war forever. prep
aration for a righteous peace must be
made and made speedily. And this means
that the majority of the moral law must
be enthroned in the hearts of the ma
lions. Men must become moral enough
to restrain them from the immoral use
of power. Notwithstanding the prostrat-
ing effects of this terrible war. the
power of mankind is going to increase
more and more. Titanic forces of ma
ture not yet known or only partially
known, will be brought into subsection
to mankind, and with the augmenting
of power will come the temptation to
use it unlawfully. The outcome of sucn
process will be other and more awful
wars Gnless the human race becomes
more moral and religious. When power
Sutruns piety the most dreadful conse-
Auences always follow. Such has been
the case in the past, and such will be
the case i'm the future.
The security of modern civilization
cannot rest on one great triumph of
force over force. The only fortifica-
tons for it's defense that will assure its
peaceful perpetuation must be thrown
up in the human heart. BY this means
alone can the superhuman forces. which
tho fyfure will uncover he held hack