Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-06
THE PEACE PROBLEM
By H. Addington Bruce

IF were a competitor for international
! peace project prize I would propose no
plan looking to the abolition Of war main
ly through legislative action or diplomatic
arrangement. The problem is essentially one
calling not so much for law-making or the
manoeuvering of diplomats as for an inten-
sive re-shaping of public thought and opinion
This is the point which many sincere work
for world peace entirely overlook.
They are under the delusion-unhappiy
long prevalent with regard to social evils
generally-that great reforms can be brought
about by the mere passing Of corrective laws.
Experience has shown that men never can be
legislated to goodness. No more can they be
legislated to world peace.
There must first be attained a widespread
appreciation of the truth that whatever is
injurious to the welfare of one nation is inju-
rious to the welfare of all nations and that
in far as national aims and ambitions in
yolve loss and suffering to other nations the
welfare of the selfishly ambitious nation itself
will be injuriously affected.
Or, as Gilbert Murray once finely phrased
this truth, in an exposition of ancient
philosophy:
THE world is working together 1t is all
one living whole, with one soul through it,
suffer without all the rest being affected"
And in the language of Emerson:
You cannot do wrong without suffering
wrong. Treat men as pawns and ninepins,
and you shall suffer as we'll as they. If you
leave out their heart, you shall lose your
own"
DO people generally think in this wise?
On the opposite it has been, and still is,
habit in national thinking to ignore the inter-
Of oF 10
think of the people Of other nations not as
cooperators to a common end but as rivals in
national progress and power. No one nation
exclusively has erred in thus thinking. The
error has been universal
1t has resulted in treating fellow-nations
pawns and ninepins, with universal loss
and suffering as an inevitable consequence.
1t has given rise to war after war, and so
long it is persisted in will give rise to
war, despite the setting up of the most in
genious peace machinery deyisabe by the
worlds entire galaxy of lawmakers and
diplomats.
To put an end to it-and thereby put an
end to and realize the ideal of world
peace-not legislation is the fundamental need
but education The people of all nations
must be brought to think-and feeI-in terms
of international solidarity. difficult under
taking this, in truth, yet not an impossible
one.
Today, indeed, thanks to the invention CT
such new educational agencies as the wireless
telegraph and the moving picture it is an
undertaking more accomplishabIe than at any
earlier time in human history. That public
leader who does not utilize the numerous
channels now open to him for the spreading
Of peace-breeding ideas is recreant to bis
highest duty.
"One for all and all for one" here is the
principle to be urged throughout the world
by every man and woman in a position to
influence popular thinking with reference to
international relations 1t need not it
should not mean cessation Of efforts to set
up Incorporating leagues or tribunals But
if these are to function effectively they must
have the vitalizing support Of the sentiment
of the peoples of all nations.
This it is that above all other things we
cannot afford to forget so far as the peace
problem is concerned.
Copyright, 1929