Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-02-10
PURSUIT OF LUXURY BRINGS
WAR. SAYS FISKE


Tho bottom cause of war is the
competitive pursuit of luxury" Rear
Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, former head
OF the National War College. declared
tonight at the banquet of the National
Association of Manufacturers Of Medi-
cinal Products. He said:
ITO enforce laws within the borders
of a country SO highly civilized as
ours is not difficult now; but to en-
force the vague agreements that ex-
list among countries speaking differ
ent languages, possessing different
moral standards, looking at matters
from different points OF view, endowed
with different temperaments. holding
different national ambitions, and de-
scended from different racial stocks,
is an endeavor so difficult that no
means TO accomplish 1t has yet been
found, except the means of war.
This is a horrid means; the soul of
every decent man revolts. at the idea
OF killing other men, merely 10 insure
the attainment of the things we want.
Unfortunately, however. we seem to
be on the horns of dilemma; we
We seem to have to decide whether
we shall let our opponent kill us, or
whether we shall try to kill him first.
"Of course, there is a means to get
out OF this dilemma, and that means
is simply to back out and let our
opponent have his way. This method
has many attractions which the pa
cifists picture in glowing tints. The
trouble with IL is that the experience
of the world shows that, like an in
dividual. a nation that gets its own
way unresisted. becomes more and
more insistent on having its own
way; while the nation that continu-
ally yields, that purchases temporary
peace by the price of yielding, has to
pay higher and higher price, like 4
man who submits to blackmail. Fur
thermore, like that man, the nation,
falls finally to get any peace. The
peace at any price plan Is condemned
by the experience of the world.
Without any foreign trade, the
United States would need only little
navy; without navy, the United
States could not long have any for
eign trade. The people OF the United
States could all live on little farms
II they wished, and have no commercC
and no navy; but IL they don't nj
wish to live on farms; If they wan
luxuries and fine clothes, beautiful
homes, electric lights and all the rest
they must have a commerce.: AM
they must have a navy to protec
the commerce from the sea highway
men.
1T may be that Injuries of al
kinds are an evil; I am inclined [,
believe they are. II may be that th
savage OF Sampa is happier than tn
millionaire of New York. / think h
Is. 1t may be that all our artificial
civilization Is mistake and that W
were In happier state when W
lived nearer the simple things OF ms
ture; and that is my personal belle
But the people OF the United State
do not wish to live like the Samoa
savage; they want all The luxurie
they can get, and the women war
them more eagerly than the men d,
This brings into effect the fou
teenth commandment, that you mus
pay for what you get.
Now the only way thus far foam
In the history of the world to pa
for Injuries is to live in big cite.
maintain a complicated social system
lead an artificial existence and pros,
cute an aggressive foreign con
merce.
These are just the activities tina
bring on wsss, and necessitate tn
maintenance OF navies.
THE bottom cause of war is IN
competitive pursuit OF luxury"
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