Arizona republican., 1922-05-31
Why Wars Are Fought


An editorial "Unknown' by Bruce Barton i'm
tended for publication yesterday. Decoration Day,
seems to underestimate the purpose for which men
placed upon the earth. Three shadowy figures
described as meeting at the grave of the In
known Soldier after the crowds had melted away.
One of them had fought with Leondas at Their
mopylae. When he failed to return his mother wept
but she was comforted by her countrymen: "He held
the pass" they said, "the Persians driven back
and Greece is freed. He died but he left better
world" But the Unknown's voice grew hard when
he remembered that the Greece for which he died
was over by the Romans. and Rome later, by the
Barbarians Il wonder" he added, whether it was
worth while die at tewnty- eght-to sleep at Their
mopyae unknown"
The second, and younger Shadow, had been
with Charles the Hammerer at Tours where Arab
hosts were turned back and Europe saved. His
weeping mother was told that it splendid to
have saved Europe from Mohammedanisn to have
sacrificed the altar of peace and good will.
THAT was twelve hundred years ago." said this
gretful Unknown. ''and where is the peace We died
for? Where is the faith? The good-wi?'
The youngest Unknown was with wellington at
Waterloo. He died with vision of world free
from tyranny and wrong. I'VE thought" he said
'it to be the worlds last great battle; there
would be But century went by
and there came war beside WHICH ours little
thing. Our friend over whom the bands played to-
day of millions who gave their lives. Men
have heaped honors upon him such never had
Do the honors mean that the hearts of men have
changed. I wonder? They broke faith with us; will
they keep faith with him."
All this is dramatic but is No
promise of peace was made to the at Thermopy-
lac; to the soldier of Tours; to him who fell at
Waterloo to Unknown who sleeps at
Arlington. The promise engraved upon his tomb
that he shall not have died in vain, does not mean
that that by his death has been abolished. Nor
is 1t true as Mr.. Barton says that told the boys
who We're going across the that they were to
fight to end all wars.
Nobody in authority. nobody could have been in
authority to offer such stipulation. If sentimen-
tasts the spiritually exalted told the boys that
they were going to fight for perpetual peace and
democracy the boys did not heed it. They
merely going to attend the business hand.
of the tasks of the day. We might well have told
the typhus doomed patient that he about to die
for millions yet to come who should be saved from
death by typhus.
time may come when there will be
wars, but that happy result will never be brought
about by war. b,V by the changing of mems hearts
which wars do not soften. There could have been
nothing at Thermopylae turn either Greeks
Persians to peace There nothing from the
battle of Tours to soften the heart of either Frank
or Mohammedan And Waterloo only intensified the
centures-old Anglo-French hatred.
If the unknown soldiers of Thermopyae Tours
and Waterloo had fought only for perpetual peace
and demanded that guaranty of perpetual peace
should be given; if they had fought in doubt
those battles would have been Men fight for
everything but peacefor duty, for liberty, for
try, for conquest, for aggression, for and
hate-but for peace.
A hopeful sign of the later times is that there
fewer for conquest aggression and hate.
Not perhaps because less moved to such
wars but because they discountenanced by world
opinion and because nations have and more
come to entertain decent respect the opinions
of one another.
The "Unknowns" in great battles have not died
in vain Greece spared a glorious golden
age by those who held the pass. Europe was saved
at Tours from the paralysis which has rested upon
Asia At Gettysburg peace was not assured but our
union was made secure but it was given no promise
of peace or perpetuty, for perpetaty is something
this world has never known and never know.
II we set our hands either in peace war to
what is before US and accomplish it well will do
all that mortal do. And that what had been
done by the three shadowy Unknowns who convened
at Arlington.