Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-31
Necessity OF PEACE
GENERALLY ADMITTED
Feeling Grows That Present War
Must BE Last Armed Conflict
Between Nations.
WORLD REQUIRES GUARANTEES
Conquest of Air Will Make Armies
Useless Within Twenty-Five Years.
New Aerial Forces Must he
Curtailcd.
BY ~. y. CUMMINGS.

~ ~. II. CUMMINGS.
LONDON. July 30.-At the bcgin-
n!nt; OF tho war there were a few pco-
PIE who sobe-ly believed this was. and
must be- the last great struggle in
&hich the nations would engage.
Others. tolerant but les sanguinc.
smiled and shook their heads.
u was an idea not generally popular.
In the light Of history and the cvct-
lasting mood ot man. the thought OF
world without was regarded as
the Extravaganza Of poet or the
fancy of scntimcnta!st. and those
who deemed II possible were looked on
as Missionaries for whom practical folk
had no use.
But experience Is showing chat
these few were true prophets. who are
last compelling men TO accept their
words; for after nearly four years
march across a bloody battle field. II
there Is no peace for the lighters. there
is At least the gain Of new viewpoint
from which comes clearer sight OF
me Issues a. stake and a faircr reckon
ing OF values. And one fact rises sure.
1t Is no armchair philosophy which
proclaims the fool!shncss OF wholesale
carnage and dictates that when it
stops. II shall stop forever. An agree
ment between tho nations 20 hold the
future iInmun" from Il repetition OF
the events or thcEe last terrible years
becomes matter for reasonable con-
s!dera,ion. not dream TO float idl: in
the MIND O! the iSealiSt.
We only need consider the revolu-
tionizcd world when will grow out OF
these present times 10 be convinced
that other and nrincr guarantees OF
peace than those ever enforced before
VII! be necessary TO give the nations
that feeling OF security which will per
init their individuals TO engage in
labor making for the progress OF the
race. and not merely in that which IS 4
preparation under terms OF truce Tor
further war.
Man with his Inventions has made
himself the inconoclast OF tradition and
OF its methods. He ~ the conGucror OF
tho mir and tho ocean depths, and In
future drama e the age II is certain
where he viii choose TO play his lead
ing parts. And Imagination need not
De vivid 70 picture the result. The
whole order Of things vii: be changed.
GROUND ARMIES WILL
no LONGER SERVE
= quarter OF century hence coz
less, when the rate OF progress In the
science OF aviation alone IS considered
Tor The pas, FIVE years. where will he
ing armies? he sky Will be
ihoroughfare. The frontier lines o: to-
day could then, for all their significance
IN an emergency. be broken down. TO
the next generation at war. the old
systems OF detensc--that Is. tho wall OF
soldiers against tho invadcr-will hold
10 more than an antiquarian interest
II Is not undu!y fearful TO say that
this new force in the air VIII abide
Il perpetual frown upon the Garth un"
less some restraint Of Ia w is put upon
X; Its scope for action is wider than
that ever possible 10 land armies. II
commands the destiny o! the world
now and in the future. so that in max
ing terms OF peace the nations VIII be
bound TO- reckon with X. And when
the time comes for the laying down OF
their swords. ii must be no temporary
!uN--no moment as IN the past, OF sus-
pended war to be used as an cppog-
iunity for rebuilding ornaments; for In
such case. on. o; tho knowledge born
ef the present experience 'ould come
an array OF dcviltry that even our wat
hardened minds must fail TO conceive.
II Is terror we dare not consider.
Instead, wc are slowly but surely COM
ing to believe in the axiom on which
depends the very existence OF tho gen
cTatidrs TO come.
This war must be the last Man has
need 10 fear his power 10 kill! with
the n ech anical means he has devised II
becomes n menace that must keep his
fellows in n state Of constant and
teverish expectancy. And rs in the
small community he has enforced law
FOR the protection OF It's units and In
c!dentally for the benefit Of the mass,
so also must the nations combine. and
in o league bound by law to whicn
each has subscribed. enjoy a stable and
equal peace in which Will live their
chance TO progress truly.
LEAGUE Of NATIONS MUST
INCLUDE ENEMY POWERS
Obviously. this means the inclusion
of our enemies for Il league Of nations
that would ostracisc others conveys
idea OF peace az all. But as OBJ
viousiy. TOO. before inclusion our
enemies must change that state OF mind
which was responsible for the outbreak
o. August, 1911. PrussIan militarism
Is the foe OF peace. and the allies et-
fort TO the end will be to crush it. But
having gained their end, il would be
10 contradict the principle for which
they fought TO deny Germany a place
the time Will surely come when such
denial will be possible is beyond
doubt
This is not hidden from Germany
much less from her allies. whose con
dition is extreme. To n Judgment in
capable of measuring ultimate values
her conruests may appear considerable.
East and west her armies have adj
vanced Belgium. Serbia. Rounania
and Russia lie at her feet The Baltic
and the Black Seas lie open to her
traffic. But when all is said. how far
are her schemes for world power
realized? Is she not rather beating at
the door of a prison. the bars OF which
tho exception OF Russia. what material
advantage has she gained from her
conques;s. and in the case of this last
country. her realization is immeasur
ably less than her hopes.
Placed as che is now with thousands
of acres OF the allies territory under
her heel. she is further from the point
Of debating peace OF her own choos-
ing than she was when Won Klucks
army was hieing on its way TO Paris
Econ omic exhaustion awaits all her
inorts in the lighting field She knows
it. SO do her allies.
She may hold the Baltic ports. Her
U-boats may be hiding in the ocean
depths, but the highways of commerce
are not hers. and despite the greatness
OF her internal resources. the fact re-.
mains that the markets from whi,h
she would buy her raw materials are
closed.