The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-21
(By Richmond Pearson Hobson. J

social chances must we expect from
! the present war?
How can America influence the
! outcome? What should be the funda-
mental guiding principal of our Amer
lean participation?
| The present war comes at a criti-
cal transformation period In the life
of the human race. Mans mastery
over the forces of the warfare, the
control of power and the use of power
machinery have suddenly revolution
ICED the physical conditions of human
life. As this mastery requires eff
| cheney and corporation OF men in
very large numbers for production,
distribution and consumption. all hui
| man life takes on new value and
new dignity.
The worlds economy will more
and more demand that the destroy
ing principle formally avowed freely
between man and nation, shall give
| way to the conservation principle.
+ The bgiar, the plant OF prey, is
\ doomed; the bird OF prey, the beast
of prey, the animal Of prey. can only
| survive In the vanishing jungle. The
| business of exploitation must go. The
rewards are to be made in proportion
to the amount of service rendered.
| The nation OF prey no longer has
a place in the worlds economy. The
| greatest among nations or among men
| shall be the servant of all
New Test For Fitness.
The test for fitness to service will
no longer be the might and Drawn
| force to destroy, but the capacity and
the willingness to cooperate with
others to produce useful mmodi-
ties
| In early days the conditions. of hui
man life and its dependence upon ma
ture aroused the instinct and love OF
| elf-preservation to unite in groups
to kill and exterminate their fellow
men not In their own group.
| Naturally the weak groups went
down before the strong. The men
that survived were In the larger
| groups. in which the social instinct
| was most developed These were
men with wider vision. whose sense
of mind embraced wider divergences
and produced wider cooperation.
In time the stronger groups, In
stead OF exterminating the weaker.
ensiaved them. utilizing their power
| for labor. and those slave-owning
groups that were most considerable
of their slaves realized more benefit
and power. and the men who sur
vived were the good masters
In time the strong groups found
| more advantage in leaving the
weaker groups free to partly regu-
late their own activities and pay tri-
butte. The most enduring empires
built on tributary peoples were those
whose rulers aided rather than OPP
pressed the tributary peoples.
The march of survival in groups
has been the same manifestly. The
type Of group destined to survive is
that which will recognize and re-
spect the equal rights of other groups
both weak and strong. and will ask
only Justice and a fair and equal
chance in the worlds efficiencies in
the quest OF wealth and we'll being
in the pursuit of happiness.
Must SOcialixe Human Race.
The occupation of space, the de-
lvelopment- OF international industry
international commerce, tern "a
tionaI finance. the rapid interchange
OF thoughts. the accelerated flow OF
population by immigration and emf.
grafton. have revolutionized the So
cial conditions of the world.
We must insure that the great
war shall inaugurate the socializins
the whole human race, Transforming
the race into one great living famil,
in which the nations and races will
be but members. each in it's industry
| Iis fesltlIHIte part u
the welfare of all and relieving II
return its proportionate benefits, al
enjoying protection in their natura
inherited rights and liberty.
| The day of inquest and oppres-
sion Is running to its close. The
term has been set to the exploitation
OF industry by organized might. Ii
country after country the peaceful
agriculturists and their civilization
have survived.
Efficiency In arms, professionalism
in war. with their attendant superi
GRITTY in discipline and organization
gave advantage to the entire system
lover the fundamental industrial
system OF the past. and stamped
autocracy upon the governments o
the old world.
The utilization of a nations indus
trial resources Is the foundation o
success in modern war. Militarisn
as a principal in modern Prussia ha
been quick TO support industrialisn
for war purposes. but it is not diff
cult to see that industrialism ant
social democracy are sure to win ant
that militarism and autocracy mus
go.
The real fundamental issue In tn,
} great war is whether militarism, from
} its shrewd swift and masterful adop
ton and utilization OF industrialisn
In war shall emerge ahead and gail
another lease of life power OF
whether this war shall now sount
} the death knell OF Tnilitarism.
The answer depends as much upoI
the success of democracy in Russis
as upon the fate Of the autocracy il
Prussia.
Eject Of Battles.
In the time OF war where suffer
ing and sacrifice stir the hearts o
men and move the elemental depti
OF public mind. nothing is SO pre-
cipitative in crystallizing the proper
: will al the results OF battles Vic
J tory always trends to stabilize the
existing system Defeat Away.
tends to precipitate change.
Austro- Prussian autocracy prob
ably never dreamed that in the drive.
in Poland and Runfania 1t was 6
! death blow at autocracy in Russia
and thereby OF the heart OF autocrac,
everywhere, but Prussian autocrac,
now of course knows that Teutonit
successes against Russia will tent
to overthrow democracy in Russia
and stabilize autocracy in centra
Europe.
We may, therefore. expect to see