Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-08-01
Governor Baxter And "Law-Not
War"

|
| War"
! Governor Baxter was shown the
| dispatch supporting to come from
! Washington and published in a local
! Portland paper. entitled "Washing-
ton Surprised that Baxter Endorses
'Law-Not War Day Plans"
Governor Bakers comment was as
| follows:
! Il am amused at the report in a
local paper that Washington was
! surprised that Baxter Endorses
LaW-Not War Day Plans If this
is an accurate report | can see that
1T is not the only surprise that Of
fetal Washington has received late
( ~, and no doubt more are in store
for it. As a matter of fact, however,
| | doubt if the surprise extended
! far beyond the confines of the news
F.! paper office in which it originated,
ana have a suspicion that the re-
port was prepared for home con-
sumption only.
ut is easy for a newspaper to
| generaliZe it's comments behind a
screen of indefiniteness, where no
responsibility for what is said can be
| placed.
The dispatch also says that off
cial Washington has frowned on the
proposal and much surprise was
! expressed that Governor Baxter
| should have fallen for the propa-
| ganda.' Another section says that
the impression prevails here that
the proposition is part of the Rus
sian communist movement to Soviet
ize America
ANY public official in WASHINGTON
! or elsewhere who does not believe in
the basic principle that international
| disputes should, wherever possible,
be settled by law instead of war; is
! unworthy to be entrusted with the
administration of public affairs The
whole world longs for peace and for
the day when law will replace war.
Some good citizens are more hopeful
| of the future than others, but all
| unite on the principle.
1t should not be forgotten that
munition makers and proitecrs are
still with us, and that they are
catering to the military spirit.
These men, hoping to enrich them
selves thereby. do not hesitate to
traffic in mems souls and bodies.
They are still with us but keen
under cover and work in secret. The
motto of Kaiser Wilhelm was War
Not Law but no American would
care to advocate that principle.
| False appeals often are made to
patriotism, and bureaus are estab-
lished to carry on vicious propa-
Ganda. Whenever more money is
| needed by them a rumor of war is
started, or threatened Soviet plot
is conveniently discovered lurking
in the background
| When Secretary Hughes, Presi-
! dent Lowell of Harvard, the w. C.
I. T., Church federations, National
! Womens Party. and thousands of
right thinking patriotic people boldly
advocate LaW-Not War it means
that something is stirring in this
| Nation. l am glad to be numbered
| with these patriots, even though
local press bureaus are Surprised
and pretend to speak for official
! Washington. I believe I have fallen
| into good company.
"The day has passed for calling
| your opponent a Bolshevist' Just be-
cause you do not agree with him.
If the Soviet Government is really
| trying to bring about peace in the
| World and to substitute law for war
! it is good symptom, and is about
| the only good thing that government
| las yet done. l should almost prefer
| to be called 'Bolshevist' rather
| than a Bourbon
"Rightthinking military men are
| as much in favor of settlement of
international disputes by law as are
civilians. Perhaps they are not as
optimistic of immediate accomplish
ments as some people are. and their
ways of bringing about the desired
end may be different. Until, how
ever. the local paper in question
gives more definite authority for this
Washington surprise than that