Evening star., 1925-01-19
ROLE
OF i. S. DEPLORED
Rabbi Wise Urges Americans
to Think More of Nation
as Moral Debtor.

Rabbi Stephen S. Wise OF New York
city, speaking today before the Ma
tional Conference on the Cause and
Cure of War, at the Washington
Hotel, called upon Americans to think
less of this country as "the financial
creditor OF the world. and to hone
more for America as the moral debtor
nation of the world"
European nations" he said. ARE
very busy paying their debts to one
another, or evading the payment
thereof. We are less occupied, less
harassed, though more harassins in
seeking merely to secure the payment
or those debts. il grows jus; a little
weary to be made to feel from day
to day as If our State Department
were an international note brokers
agency, and little more"
Dr. Wise suggested that the pro-
posed department of peace, which has
been urged as a help to prevent war.
should be the Department of State
itself
Motives of War AnaIyzed.
Discussing Psychology of War and
Peace" DR.. Wise said: AS far &c
the masses are motivated in the di-
rectlon OF war, the outstanding mass
motives are fear and greed, each of
Whlch is largely instructive, neither
OF which is really reasoned That
rear obtains in Europe is inevitable
alter the narrowing and crushing ex-
perlence of ten years, but there is no
excuse for fear in America. though
fear is being played upon bv the
protagonists Of war. one dav bv air
threats, the next by insinuations
touching the Japanese, the third by
Whispers regarding Mexico and again
and the worst of all, by rumors that
the Allies will not pay their debts TO
us"
President Coolidge was commended
lot having stood out against the
naval mathematicians" who recon-
mended elevation of guns.
The great agencies in the building
up or a mass psychology for peace,
ne sald, were religion and education.
the church, school and home
Middle Ground Sought.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait. honor
airy president of the National League
or Woman Voters. who is general
chairman of the conference. outlined
the aims and ideals of the confer
ence Explaining that the nine ma
tlonal women's organizations had
called the conference for their own
euucatlon concerning the problems of
war she said we dream of stretch
ing our hands over the 1unatic
irlnse, as Theodore Roosevelt called
II, of both war and peace movements.
to find comfort and friends on the
other side
1t was the expectation. she said
that there might be worked out a
program whereby the ORGANIZATIONS
represented might cooperate more
effectively and practically in working
toward peace
No Quarrel With Army.
Explaining that the conference
has no quarrel with the Army or
Navy" Mrs. Gait said they repre-
sent the old system of defense. which
must continue to be honored and re-
spected until a safe and sane substi-
tute is found. No road to world
peace" she said. will ever be trav-
eled to the end unless and until it
brings the sense of security to ma
tions. How to exchange the universal
feeling of Insecurity, doubt and dis
trust for one of security, faith and
good Will seems to be the funda-
mental difficulty"
She suggested the conference be
the first appeal to the Army, the
H'avy, and especially the American
Legion to join in this task. There is
a real danger that the obsolete mind
ed generals, throwing stones at peace
makers, and hystericalIy- minded
searchers for peace, hurting bitter
words in return, may jointly create
barragc of villificaticn which Will OBJ
scure the real question and the real
me vement."
The conference swung into it's first
program with the session this morn
ing in the Hall of Nations, where the
meeting will be held morning, after
noon and evening, until the end of
the week. 1t was explained that tho
meetings are open to the public by
purchasing tickets, either for one ses-
sion or for the entire conference.
The meeting this morning was
opened by prayer by Rev. w, Z.
Waltemyer Mrs. Gait presided. Mrs.
Thomas e. Winter. chairman of the
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