The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-29

been fought for commerce.,
tage. To be more exact. thev 10 :,
been fought to give the forsi-sa 4''
yestors OF a given country p
erential right in eyploifi-- VIZ
natural resources OF various ls
of the world and in selli7g paLA
featured goods to various 49, ,-,--l'
A nation which has been sucS p.s.'
Iul IN ITS wars in the mas K
gained thereby new sources ~ "a
material to exploit. and naw r,.s a'
cts from which its conD.tI. 81
were wholly or partly aTc Ii,'so.'
This advantage has results5 T.
accumulation Of wealth in tba q
cesstul country. This wealth /, !,
ways in the hands of the rels,i...' ~
few men who have money i1vs,.-,,
in foreign trade and exploi,.,;s-l
The common man, who worLs s-
wages or a salary, never maEss -.
but small and incidental rsi7. aly
successful war. while he 49,
has to do the fighting aud sl,,.
pay the taxes. He is induced n ~ "
these things by means of snsso,-
about patriotism, the national ~
or, the need for maintainjns -.
greatness of his country, and =
forth.
War Profits Wane
Now two great changes b.v.
come over the situation, In ~.
first place, the common man ia NJ
coming increasingly hard 10 h
fool. He is not so easily eYcit.s
about the national honor and ofs..
pretexts for. war as once he ~
The change in this respect is slisbr
but significant.
In the second place. war dos,
not SO obviously and surely nav
profit, even to the investors n,
whose benefit 1t is fought as o1r,
it did. Thus the business interers
of France and England have IN
viously not as a ohole gained h
the late war, although they won il
They gained new spheres of in.
fluence" and manufactures" full n
oil, coal, forests, and backWsrs
peoples with money to spend. b1i
they are too crippled financially 10
make use of their prizes. Frtbsr
more, they see their business rival,
in the United States and Jana,
which did not get into the war "a.
enough to get hurt much, enjoying
an immense advantage over them in
money and men A nation which
loses in war most of its yourg
men and most of its money can
scarcely gain any prize that vii.
repay it; for il takes young mer
and money to exploit the prize and
hold it
The British empire was built Up
by a series Of successful wars, bg.
the British government doubtless
perceives that the British empire
can now best be preserved BY keep,
ing out of future wars and letting
its rivals fighe. Japan made her.
self what she IS by fighting frs
China and then Russia Further
more, the Japanese government
still has faith that it can gain nez
advantages by new wars, and this
faith is more than justified in The
case of Japan than 1T would be IN
that of any other nation. This Is
the simple and practical reason
why Japan stands out as the mos
miIitaristic nation of the world 10.
day.
If Japan had to fight the United
States or any other western power
military experts agree that it would
be a defensive naval war upon The
part Of Japan. The western power
would be seeking to check Japs1i
exploitation of other Asiatic cou1-
tries. Japan would have but 70
prevent d successful blockade. L
she did this her business interest,"
would have established their RICH.
to exploit the greater part Of Asa
She might make an immense gan
by war without a heavy loss o.
men or money. There Is probably
no other nation of which this e
true.