Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-22
Common Sense and Disarmament.
u, INli

Common Sense and Disarmament.
York, Neb., Aug. H. To the Edi-
tor of The Bee: From he clouds
and stars now visible on the horizon
it sure looks like unsettled weather
ahead for some time. With the
extremes for disarmament and pre-
paredness eagh fighting for peace
along their own lines. each knowing
CD they are right and have the only
way 1t can be done; and both 80 far
wrong that they will get badly left at
the disarmament conference" Then
the fur will fly while they devour one
another. and the conference for what
they did and did not do to save the
world from war.
Well. we might just as we'll warn
them here and now they will not get
what they want. First because
while that conference may make
some progress toward better meth.
DDS of settlement Of vexed questions,
yet they cannot change human ma
ture, and that Is the only way or
only thing to change that will end
all wars. So we will be glad, yes,
very thankful for whatever advanced
step the conference may take in the
pacts for peace and brotherhood, but
be not deceived. you cannot have Etr-
feet peace while you have an imper-
feet race, and those who dream such
stuff are dead asleep to human his
tory.
Did you ever stop to think that
there have been more treaties of
peace than there have been declara-
tions Of war? Yet the end Of war
is as far off as the end of human
depravity. Now, l do not want to
throw any encouragement in the
path of any move for peace or spoil
nights rest for any lover Of peace.
But for people to be carried away
with such fads and then be disap.
pointed makes grouches Of them and
they lose heart, then quit trying or
hoping and by so doing cause far
more harm than they ever did 1t
good. Against both of such actions
/ wish to protest.
Then you say, what aIn frr
in this case am for common sense
and justice and that can not ,y
from either extreme. How far we
shall go in disarmament depends on
how far other nations 60. A preacher,
who has more zeal than knowledge,
says, LET us do right whatever others
may or may not do" That is good
doctrine to preach or '~actice in
nearly all cases. but in this case what
is right for us depends on what
others do. A statesman said for us
to disarm and thereby compel others
by the force Of example to do the
same. What happened in 1914 proved
how wise he was. Come. now, let us
reason together. Come with me into
the banks where these people de-
posit their money and you tell the
banker that he Is only making the
world worse than it is by his break
proof vaults and safes; the way to do
is to leave the money on the counter
and leave the door open and prove
by example and by your faith in hu-
manity that you are honest and ex-
pect them to be the same.
Can you guess his answer? can.
He turns on you first in scorn, then
In pity, then he reasons, THAT is
consummation devoutly to be
wished" And 1 wish it might be
SO, but 1t is not. My knowledge of
and experience with human nature
has taught me it is not what we wish
humanity was, but what we know it
to be that dictates our preparedness
for safety.
1t is the same with our police,
penal institutions and in fact every
law we have. Shall we disarm
along all these lines? I say no. You
and the banker may try it.
How much preparedness shall we
have? / said that depsndS When
we find the square of that factor,
then let us make it just as small as
safety will allow and for two reasons.
First, the killing cost. then the rapid
changes in what it takes to fight
with or defend with. The Oregon.
when built, was the greatest floating
fort ever made, but 10 years ago this
summer they spent $2,500.O00 to