Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-17
LEST WE FORGET

So much Of peace propaganda as
may serve to keep the actualities
and utilities OF war as well as Its
glories and adventures impressed
on the minds Of youth serves good
purpose. We must not forget the
crushing Of innocent communities,
the poisoning and devastation OF
lands, the wreckage of the products
Of thrift and enterprise, the sordtd,
ruthless, constituencies features
which thrive In time OF war. We
should not permit the youth coming
to command Of affairs to overlook
the slime and rats Of the noisome
trenches, the abuse Of the innocent,
the destruction Of morale, the drag
ging down OF noble individual and
civic standards, the stencil of cor
ruption, the ghouls that CLEAN from
battlefields, the unrest and dissipa-
ton following in the wake of war.
We are reminded Of these things
by an article published In a German
newspaper and considered by our
ambassador at Paris of enough i'm
portance TO forward to the Depart
ment Of State. The writer of this
insists that the main safeguard
against war Is the general i'm
poverishment of Europe but that 1t
is on the very threshold of war now.
He declares the "chaos of treaties,
alliances and semi alliances creates
a situation which is more dangerous
than the situation in 1914
He emphasizes the danger from
idealizing war, propaganda for which
is now being spread:
THE war danger is increased by
the growing up of those generations
which have not fought in the World
War, but have experienced the war
enthusiasm and which, in an adj
venturous spirit. would not hesitate
to go to war. that has been describ-
ed to them in their childhood and
school days in ideal colors. In this
connection is< to be noted the psy-
Geological phenomenon that the
human instinct of self preservation
forgets the odious and sad quicker
side OF war has left on many war
riors stronger impression than has
the tragic side"
Americans should not permit war
to be localized for her youth; nor
should she permit them to be il
lusioned by the notion that the pos
sibtlity of war is past and all pre-
caution may be disregarded. The
way to the best assurance for
keeping the peace is by enlighten-
ment, knowledge of actual condi-
tons, of human nature Of ambitions
and greed leading to war. Only so
may the people be enabled to check
influences tending to war, have I'M
Outstanding raising them above the
level of mere cannon fodder" ma
terial lying at hand for the war pro-
ducers to use. That was the condi-
ton of the German people and that
Is the attitude into which Europeans
appear to be drifting, as the horrible
experiences of the war are being
forgotten.
The writer believes the present
political leaders in Europe are not
seeking war, nor does he conclude
war Is unavoidable. On the con-
trary he has plan by which he as
sumes this avoidance might come.
Briefly this would be a pan-Eu-
ropean conference to make a COL
lective treaty under which there
should be obligatory arbitration of
controversy. dissolution of all pre-
vious agreements and an economic
entente.
He finds that the League of Ma
tions may aid in preventing war be-
tween the smaller nations but not
between the larger, that a dozen new
Alsace-Lorraines have arisen, and he
cites Bessarabia as important among
these and we'll calculated to bring on
a general war. He regards the Lo-
carno pact with the eyes OF Mac
Donald. who likened it to the
preachments OF Coue. yet something
Of which good use may be made. He
sees that inertia Is greater than fear
among the European people, who
are surely drifting toward another
terrible war unless the leaders NAV
bs wise enough to avert 1t. These
people are to be considered in our
peace projects. The duty to our
selves In to recognize the truth IA
we'll as to hate wars, to see that the
inertia Of Europe is q menace which
WA NAV not safaiv dfsreoor5