Evening star., 1926-11-14
ARMISTICE DAY SILENCE
EMPHASIZES NEW PEACE
Peoples of Europe, Eight Years From
Last War, Again Approach
Prosperity.

Europe has staggered through it's
slough of despond and is on4the other
side, with ff'm ground under it's feet
and good hope ahead.
People Growing Prosperous.
That is my firm conviction, looking
around Europe today.
German industrial genius is work
| ing hard, paying its debts and putting
by savings
France is still uneasy about her
financial stability, not yet fully as
sured because of political dishonesty
and uncertainty, but the French peo-
| pie are fairly prosperous and, above
all. want no more military adventures.
There is no longer any danger Of war
between France and Germany. The
trend of thought in both countries for
economic arrangements is based on
peaceful relations and concessions.
There have been checks and delays
since Stressemann's talk with BRAND
at Geneva, but at least II is certain
now that statesmen in, both countries
are not thinking in terms of hatred
and envy. but in terms of trade and
business relations. 1t is mental
revolution in which England has some
share by the guaranteed 1ocarno
pact of peace between those two
I have just been reading a remark
able book called MAN Is War;" by
John Carter. and l agree with this
author that war has not yet been abol-
ished from human nature or from TINS
battlefield of life. But at least it may
be said that the areas Of peace have
been widened
Field Marshal Lord Robinson, late
chief Of the British imperial star,
agrees with me that no great Euro
pean powers will risk war on big
scale for long period ahead, know
ing their weapons of destruction are
suicidal in character Many Euro
pean peoples have decided against
that form Of suicide.
Italy is not one Of them. Her peo-
pie are excited with national fervor
and the desire for a new adventure to
test their spirit. They will be severe
ly discouraged by their neighbors, and
no doubt their enthuSiasms would be
severely cooled if it came to a risk
of blood. Hungary would like to have
a knock at Rumania and regain old
territories cut out Of her heart by
peace treaties, but Hungary will not
march alone, and neither Germany
nor Austria will encourage her.
Peace Sought BY ALL
1t is at Geneva and before the
League that these national interests
and rival claims will be fought out
and not across rivers of blood. The
great powers rebuilding themselves on
a new economic basis will act speedily
to keep peace between all nations.
Russia still alarms her neighbor,
and her army is highly trained and
strongly disciplined. But not yet a
while could Russia fight any war be-
yond her frontiers with any chance
of victory. Her industrial organiza-
ton could not provide the machinery
of war in artillery or transport or
spare parts. She could not feed her
army Or provide boots for her march
ing men. There are many danger
zones in Europe and elsewhere. This
eighth anniversary of the armistice
one can look up after that two-minute
silence with a sense of thankfulnesS
that most of humanity is working
toward peace rather than war. and
millions of men and women in all civil
lized lands will never again allow
their rulers to lead them blindly into
an arena of blood and sacrifice. Tho
future holds it's dread secrets. For
the present we are doing rather well,
and our wounds have healed, though
the scars remain.
Copyright, 1926