Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-09-11
H N OF ALL WAR

In nothing more distinctly than in his passionate desire to see
the world release itself from war does the voice of President Har-
ding linger faithfully in the heart of the average man and woman.
In nothing more clearly is he the ''plain folks who comprise the
vast majority of peoples the world over. His LEGACY" to American
editors is the voice of Everyman.
It remains to consider how far within the reach of the present
time is the goal he, or other before him, sought. Admitting the
common desire for the millennium, to what extent is the notion that
men shall voluntarily abandon warfare a preposterous one? It
is not so long since the world thought itself within measurable
distance of it; it seemed that a single determined gesture might, in
a moment of sublimity, awaken the consciousness of brotherhood
and quicken it into the genius of a golden age. Then, in the dis
NAL reaction of squabbles and fears, of intrigues and jealouses, all
freed by the evil spirit of narrow misunderstanding that betrays
men from their better and saner moods, the electric moment Of
instancy was lost.
So it became a current philosophy that war is undesirable but
inevitable; that no one except a ''profteering minority wants
it but that everyone must expect. to endure it; that the millennium
is not yet, even though in every single mind there is a clear con-
viction that the abolition of war is the first and essential step to-
ward it.
Warren G. Harding, thinking along the line of the average
man, found the answer in his own heart and, therefore, in the
hearts of all average people. A profound public thought which
should comprise realization of the simple fact that war must cease
when the people determine so.
He had a complete right to view this as a tangible goal be.
cause, by one of those flashes of inspiration which belong to COM
mon sense, he realized that so far from phrases dragging the world
AulU dWu uIeSle theories, n world mas, IN TACT, out
run all phrases and its progress in direct thought on war and its
prevention has not yet found corresponding expression in words.
To put it another way, the thought that is glarngly clear in the
heart and mind of millions has not yet resolved itself confidently
into words and sentences which become articulate history from
tongue and lip.
1t is literally true that no longer can any arbitrary power, in
an individual sense, anywhere separately, secretly, and of its own
single choice disturb the peace of the world" The man on horse
back finds it difficult to command a nation to arms. We in the
United States know how reluctantly this people moved toward
war, not from any lack of sense toward right or wrong, but by
negation that war can be either profitable OF necessary, which is
held by the American people as a demonstrated and conclusive
fact. Conscription fought the war, and CONSUMPTION everywhere
in the world is an expression Of unwiIingness on the part of the
people toward the needless sacrifices of war.
Since that day the destiny of the world, through its nations,
has come to repose largely in the breasts Of the common people.
Here and there machinery exists by which leaders speak without
effective popular check, but even so, between speaking in negotia-
ton and conducting the people into a war there is a wide and
perlous hiatus.
President Harding may not have followed through all the
steps, but the infalibe instinct of sincerity showed him the con-
illusions, which is that there can be no war today or tomorrow UNI
less the peoples concerned are willing, providing they think; pro-
vidng they pause, reconeet their authority, weigh the fruits and
penalties Of war and determine their course accordingly.
It is the truth. By that much the notion of abandoning war
has ceased to be preposterous one. Where is the Moses who shall
produce the tablets with this public conscience engraved on them
indestructible and beyond challenged The world awaits him.