Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-11-30
THE EVENTUAL DISARMAMENT.

The Hope OF the World is centefea
upon Washington"
| So some one has put the universal
attitude of peoples toward the disarm-
ament conference called by President
Harding.
The high note of sincerity struck
by State Secretary Hughes, Amer
ica's representative, found a deep
response from all over the globe.
The peoples everywhere, those who
furnish cannon fodder, felt a warm
glow when they heard of America S
offer to scrap her warships. 1t was
so great, so sweeping, so sacrificing
that it topped the heights of ideallsm
and fellowship. The toilers in Amer
lea heard, it and smiled proudly. Yes,
we will lead the way" they said, and
felt happy that the great proposition
came from our country. The toflers
of Europe heard and the look of mis-
cry on their faces lightened for a
moment 1t meant relief from Mill
tarism and the prospect dazzled them.
And so did their kind in the far East
feel.
But like many noble things there
has been reaction and the state
craft of the old World and the Orient
is now finding ways to ostensibly
comply with but in reality to restrict
total disarmament. We must recog-
nize this and not be too greatly dis
appointed if Mr.. Hughes proposal
comes to nothing
World unity, it seems to us, can
only be eventually achieved by world
authority founded on justice and sup
ported by the willingness OF the gov
erned to be justly governed. In other
words a World state based upon the
principles of the United States of this
continent History shows that var
ious attempts have been made toward
world unity, some of them successful
| for a time, but all failing eventually
because greed and force were the
cornerstones of the structure.
In the known world prior to Christ
various empires rose and decayed.
All were founded on force with a rich
aristOcratic class at the top living in
idleness, vice and luxury, the fabric
supported by millions Nf miserable
toilers who were sucked dry OF all
but bare existence. Sometimes they
did not get even that.
A few hundred years before Christ
public. This republic grew in strength
but died when Augustus became the
first emperor shortly before JeGus
of Nazareth was born. The cruel, ar
rogant, REFRESHING Roman empire
lasted for about four centuries and
eventually fell because the oppressed
people did not take enough interest,"
in it to, save it from the barbarians.
In fact they welcomed the invaders.
The Roman empire, about which so
many romantic and untrue pictures
have been painted, was headed by a
group of rich autocnats and base
of degenerate plebians, slaves and
subject peoples. With all its Oppor-
tunities the Roman government left
almost nothing to the world and it's
period developed almost nothing in
the way of scientific and artistic ad-
vancement. The considerably more
humane and enlightened Greeks called
the Romans "BarbarianS" and
sneered at them successfully until the
Roman government was transferred
to Constantinople in the fifth century
and became Greek. For a thousand
years this Greek empire lasted finally
falling before the Ottoman or Turkish
peoples.
Following the decay of the Roman
empire and for many centuries there
after the early Church endeavored to
realize the ideal of world unity. At
times it seemed near at hand but in
the main the rulers were governed
more by desire for earthly power
than for THE Kingdom of God upon
Earth" With the reformation the
hope of the Christian Church toward
world unity vanished and has never
come again.
When the peoples of Europe de- |
serted the banner of the Church for
that of the ruling princes they found
they had simply exchanged masters
and that in many cases the new mas |
tiers were more cruel and unprln- |
cipled than the old one. The period |
in history leading UP to the World !
war deals, with the efforts of various |
ruling princes to achieve world unity |
with a purpose of perpetuating their |
power and interest and by means |
of force and high-handed subsection |
The World war, let us hope, illus
trated the final, full and fatal col
lapse of the idea.
Does history teach us anything?
1t would seem not. Various rulers |
and diplomatic and governing classes
seem to hang toward the old, ruinous |
ideas.
On the other hand, the World war,
disastrous as it was, was an epoch, !
turning point. The people OF the |
world have suffered and they have
learned. They are calling to their
representatives at the Washington !
conference for new deal in world |
affairs.
It seems now that each group OF |
peoples must realize that their own
happiness and prosperity depend upon |
the happiness and prosperity of other /
groups To achieve this national and,
hardest of all-racial hatreds, must |
be swept away. Good will instead OF
suspicion must be the spirit of the |
peoples. Generosity must replace |
81 Erlpoec &c a 171ndn of cOnduct