The Washington herald., 1917-03-25
By DR.. JOHN VAN sCHAIok, Jr.

ny Dr. JOnN VAN SSHAAChs Jr.
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do
1t with thy might.
War is a terrible expedient Timid war
Is more terrible.
Though undeclared, the nation Is prac-
tically at war. This stern, solemn, re-
sponsibility has been put in our hands
The simple duty Of the hour IL to wage
war with every resource which We pos
sesa
1 speak as a pacifst. In spite of the
disloyaI who masquerade under that
name, am proud to be a pacifist be-
lieve that world peace is q possibility and
a probability. I believe that a world or
ganization, backed up by a world police
to put down international disturbances,
can come, and will come. just as soon as
we are willing to take pains enough to
organize 1t. 1t Is the will of God that 1t
should come, and that will be brought
to pass through the toll and the sacri-
flee of His children.
The day Is not far distant when we
will have International courts, ipterna-
tional parliaments. and international con-
stabulary or police.
Enemies of Mankind.
The greatest enemies of mankind are
those who do not want international
peace. Next to them come those who
while they admit that theoretically II is
desirable, always sneer at the possibility
and throw their influence against It.
There is nothing which arouses the en-
thusiasm Of all good men and women
more than the thought of a world set
free from the intolerable burden OF mill
tarism
Side by side with that proposition I
place the other proposition. that war Is
probably now our duty and our oppor-
tunity. In defense of international law,
II has been forced upon US.
The whole nation should wage 1t as
one man. If We must put our hand to the
plow. we must not turn back.
When we have plowed the furrow out,
the whole nation with equal unity and
equal power should wage the cause of
an enduring peace.
How We Must Fight.
How shall we wage war with all our
might?
First and foremost, OF course, with the
striking arm OF the government, the
army and navy. 1 am not qualified to
discuss that subject in detail This is
not the time or place. War today Is
highly technical, a thing for sientists
and engineers. chemists and builders Of
many kinds.
There are. however. duties resting upon
us as civilians.
war Is contest. in these days, not
simply between armies and navies, but
between entire populations. That group
of nations will win the war now In
progress whose civilian populations can
outlast the others
What is there for US to do?
We can practice self-denial, waste
nothing. live simply, and use no more
than We need. Every man who can't
raise a bushel of wheat can save a
bushel of wheat
We can cut ruthlessly out OF the ma
tional life and our individual lives the
things which sap our strength. We can
close up the saloons. We can be tenn
perate in what We eat. drink. and wear
We can stop being parasites.
Magnify Our own Jobs.
We can do our own Individual work
with all our might. II our job Is a good
job in the sense of contributing In some
way to the common good, a distinct serv-
ice to the nation is in doing our ownl
work well. When war comes, people are
tempted to leave the thing they can do
and to dash madly into something they
can't do to show their patriotism. That
is what happened in many countries in
Europe. Such Is not patriotism. The