The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-04
THOSE WHO DESIRE PEACE

THOSE WHO DESIRE PEACE
 Public sentiment against war is a very natural and commendable feeling. Yet there is wide difference between the two ex- tremes of those who are working for world peace. On the one wing are those who seek to obstruct our national plans for defense, and who frown upon all armament as wrong Such persons think that 1t is wrong to fight no matter what the provocation. They would make our nation defenseess against attack from without, their theory that war is unnecessary. Surprising as it may seem, the influence of such opinion has had much to do with our present curious compromise between military preparation and the lack of it. Our appropriations for military de- fense and training have been reduced to a point where the results are ineffective and where the very plan of civilian training is actually frustrated while it is formally ap- proved. The pacificists at any price have both lost and won. They have lost in that our laws support the theory of military de- fense and preparation. They have won in that our expenditures are insufficient 60 make our plans effective. This latter result has been largely the result of pacifist ac- tivity masquerading in the guise of public economy.
 On the other wing are those who desire peace as earnestly as the others, but who would in the meantime keep our defensive equipment on an efficient basis and who would be among the first to spring to the defense of their country if there were threat of an aggressive war. These people believe that the proper way to arrive at peace is through such an agreement and association of nations as will cause a reduction of all military equipment by consent, and will unite nations into a program of peaceful intercourse, with proper provision for the amicable adjustment of such international disputes as formerly led to war. Fortu- nately, the people of practical mind are in the majority in this world. While they be- lieve in peace, they do not believe in so dis arming themselves as to invite attack from those who are less peacefully inclined. They recognize that national helplessness in the face of national greed has before this many times led to attack and pllage, and they are too patriotic to expose their country to such attack. Indeed, they are intelligent enough to understand that subjection to a warlike power would throw upon their nation the necessity of contributing to a conqueror's warlike policy, so that pacifsm would have actually brought on the very hostilities they would have avoided.
 In this connection the visit of Lord Robert Cecil in behalf of our participation in the League of Nations is timely. Lord Cecil does not come to us in dogmatic mood. He advocates the league, but says that if we have something better to suggest his country is willing to accept it. If we have any modi- fication to the present league to offer, he declares the powers ready to give it the most careful consideration. In this spirit of friendly remonstrance the leagues spokes- men have approached us repeatedly, and al- ways our government has turned to them a deaf ear. Surely we cannot maintain this attitude indefinitely. Some day we must declare ourselves anew on this important plan for preserving the permanent peace of the world.
 We have already found our policy of isolation untenable. We cannot keep out of world affairs, because our own affairs are inextricably interwoven with world af- fairs Even the Republicans, who defeated the league, are advocating participation in that function of the league which lies at its very heart and center, namely, the world court. Having accepted this, we shall have accepted the most intimate principle of the league. Having accepted the court then we must also accept some program for enforc- ing the courts decrees in order that it may not become laughingstock. What effective program can there be in which all nations party to the court shall not have part, and how better to insure loyalty to such pro- gram than by league whose members have covenanted together to uphold its princi- ples?
 Either we must remain out of the league and be compelled to maintain our warlike array, whether we will or no, or else we must join the league and work with it for that peace and that disarmament which shall have the sanction of all the nations of suf- ficient size and wealth to wage war.
 THE BUS LINES
 The city commission, acting on the sub feet of fares and routes for motor buses,