Evening star., 1926-12-13
PACIFISM ASSAILED.
Conditions in America Today
Compared to Ancient Rome.


To the Editor of The Star:
1t is passing strange how the les
sons of history are lost upon succeed
ing generations.
The history of the Roman Empire.
which is the perennial source of mate
rial for pointing a moral or adorning
a tale, affords startling examples of
conduct and policies that lead to decay
and ruin.
Prof Nilsson of Sweden in his re-
cent work, Imperial Rome" at
tributes the development of pacifism
among the Roman people as tremen-
dous contributing cause to the retro
gression of Roman character and the
ultimate dissolution of the civiliza
ton of imperial Rome and her final
fall. In a chapter on the army, in
which he tells of its deterioration in
organization, discipline and the type
of men that composed it, he says:
''The solution is to be found, not in
the decline of the population in the
civilized areas, though that had some
effect. but in the spirit of pacifism
which spread through the Roman
world. Men shrank from military
service and it's hardships in spite of
the advantages 1t offered. Men cut off
their thumbs to avoid military service.
Pacifsm is one of those deep revul-
sions of sentiment which, when it at
tacks a people. overrides every OBJ
stacle. defies all reason and requires a
century or more to lose it's effects.
Pacifism permeated all classes of the
civilized population and exemption
from military service became IL privi-
lege of culture"
At this time the Romans left their
defense to the uncultivated provincials
or barbarians that principally com
posed the armies of imperial Rome,
and in this connection he says:
1T Is a dangerous privilege to be
able to lay aside your weapons and
let your comfort and culture be de-
Tended by others-by uncultivated pro-
vfncials of different blood and race.
1t did not take long for the barbarous
or semi-barbarous soldiers to realize
the position and to set their feet upon
the necks of the peaceful and pacifist
population. AS a conse.
quence of it's ingrained pacifism, the
civilized population of the Roman En-
pire handed over it's defense and the
custody of it's culture to the uncivi-
lized. BY so doing, it placed on its
back a master who ruled it with a rod
of IRON
In another place he says the later
Romans were perfectly willing to Kill
and be killed in street riots in the
name of Christ. What they objected
to was "the discipline and privations
of military service" Breaking club
over the head of an adherent of a rival
bishop might be dangerous, but 1t
could be done in front of the house be.
III, AI,r
rain and sleeping in the mud was
beneath the dignity of civilized
Christian. And so Rome fell.
Are we never to learn anything
The United States now has the wealth
of the world and Is the object of the
worlds most bitter and relentless
hatred. It is not at all improbable
that a combination of nations may at
no distant time make war upon us to
despoil us Of our wealth and to destroy
our predominant economic and politi
cal position in the world. We have
many economic and political contacts
that are creating more and more fric
tion every day and that may precipi
tate an armed conflict at any time.
And in face Of this situation what
do we find? Great religious and po
litical organizations of our people
GSCCLiIiSJ III E0CulnS anu cbdfOSbtAltts =
pacifsm and the doctrine of non-re-
sistance; in fact, opposing the most
reasonable and rational measures for
national defense, to say nothing of the
means to assert our authority in world
affairs for the promotion of peace and
the protection of our international
rights. Our Army is reduced to a
skeleton the efficiency of the Navy,
our first line of defense, is seriously
impaired, and we are behind all the
leading nations in the vital arm of
aerial defense.
But worse than all this is the fact
that the opaganda of the pacif1sts
is permeating so large body of our
people and undermining their patriot
ism and destroying their Willingness
to sacrifice and fight for their country.
Unless it Is counteracted, history VIII
again repeat itself with US, and there
will ensue the inevitable consequences
national decay, subjugation and ul-
innate ruin.
ALEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER.