Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
Historian Sees End to Wars

modern war a horrible significance
that is being realized by the young
mothers of this generation. We may
expect such mothers to align them
selves solidly against war in the future
and they will be a potent barrier to
future war.
WAR today is frightfully destruc-
tive of life and wealth. We used to
reckon war casualties in the thousands
or hundreds-today we compile them
in terms OF millions. We lost millions
of man power in the late war. Our
ability to kill has evolved to the point
Of threatening impending racial ex-
termination.
with the late war only eight years
In the rear of today we have already
developed noiseless guns, powder that
cannot be hurt by water, cannons of
greater range, more deadly gases.
made preparations for enlisting the
horrors of disease germs sprayed on
whole cities, aeroplanes controlled by
radio and what-not. War today is hor-
ribly drab and grim. There is no glory
or zest in 1t and it spanks our pocket
books appallingly. The late war cost
the world we'll over $500, 900 900, 600
the whole national wealth of America
squandered."
do you think that people are see
ing through the folly Of war today?"
I asked. After all. the late war was
engineered by skillful propaganda.
wasn't It? Won't it be possible for the
people to be fooled again."
II am tremendously impressed by
the establishment that has followed
the late war" replied Dr. Robinson.
II think that disillusionment is going
to be permanent. For once in history
the victors suffered as badly as the
vanquished. The late war was de-
cidedly pyrrhic In it's triumphs.
Everybody suffered and no one really
won--except a triumph on paper.
And the result has been that people
as never before are seeing through
propaganda. What is more, they are
seeing through war completes. They
are aware of how oil makes for war.
how INSCRIPTIONS financiers plunge
nations into war for their exclusive
benefit, how certain types of people
advocate war because of peculiar de-
ficiencies their nature. The pic.
ture of wars utter uselessness today
is being seen. That Is what Is doom
ing war. Today when a clergyman
or a seemingly gentle little woman
advocates militarism we have reached
a stage where we see through their
complexes-see that they are~trying
to compensate themselves for their
resentment of weakness
i; x
LAS l say, war used to have an
exercise value, an amusement value,
an achievement value and a prestige
value Those were in the days when
life was quite drab, when civilization
exacted little of our energy, leaving
tremendous vitality loose TO be eXer
cised, when there were hardly any
books, few schools, practically no
amuSements, when the only profess
sions respected were the nobility,
clergy and military. Today business
is greatly respected. A man can be
admired today II he succeeds in one
of a thousand outlets of activity. We
praise business men, athletes, poets,
singers. Business today offers plenty
of adventure to the adventurous and
plenty of prestige to the successful.
Civilization today imposes a tremen-
dous strain on our daily energies, and
we don't need a jolly battle to keep
fit. Today we have the moving pic
lures, the theater, the radio, sym
phony concerts, books, libraries and
what not. War Is no longer necessary
to amuse or divert or ease the monot-
ony of existence
To-day war has no utility or value,
and for that reason the conditions are
unfavorable for it's perpetuation.
War today Is an old name for a
new thing-a thing so without any
usefulness that it is certain to vanish"
tCooyright. 1872