Evening star., 1931-05-20
Militarism Denounced
AS Threat to Peace
To the Editor q, The star.

To the Editor OF The Star:
Several days ago The Star printed
an encouraging and enlightening article
by Viscount Robert Cecil. in which this
distinguished and able British states
man discussed the purposes and work
Of the League Of Nations.
Among other observations, Viscount
Cecil said he discerned among the lead
ing nations OF the European Continent
signs OF the rejection Of everything
except armed strength a. the basis Of
national statecraft," and that in France,
in Italy. in Germany, and even In Eng
land, there Is found in some quarters
the same reversion to what Is called
real politics" which he defines as q
return TO the "sge-long tradition that
national safety depends on the army
and navy. He terms this irrational
system national realism" and then
asks the pertinent question:
Can any one pretend that the great
war, with its stupendous loss of life
and treasure and all its spiritual evils,
did not show the bankruptcy of this
system? It Is, IN fact, no system ct
all, nor can 1t ever be. 1t Is Q blind
refusal to recognize existence OF an
international society. and It flies in
the face of all requirements Of con-
science. reason, and the manifest de-
velopments of economic and financial
life. 1t is blind because. in consider
ing the force supposed to be necessary
to advance the interests OF particu-
lar nation, 1t ignores not only the rights
OF others, but the inevitable reactions
which this selfish development of force
Is likely to produce in others. For two
can and will play at this game Of
force"
Coming from such O high and
authoritative source that indictment
merits profound respect. With the
waning Of remembrance of the horrors
of the World War, there is too great q
probability of renewal Of that insane
debacle, and yet it is amazing, incom-
prehensible that the chief nations Of
the earth should take any steps or
favor any measures In the least likely
to bring again such q curse upon the
world. But the fact remains that there
are now more armed forces than be-
fore the World War. More money Is
being shoveled into the red throat of
war preparation than ever before in
all peace-time history, and this, too,
in the face OF the worst industrial
stalemate and depression ever known.
And here in our own land, in these
United States of America, II one lifts
his voice IN protest, striving to avert
this bloodthirSty and suicidal tendency
he Is Immediately and contemptuously
branded 'pacifist." Now, If to be q
paciflSt q man means peace, friendship
and progress among all nations; If it
means q readiness to bear and forbear:
II it means controlling, irresistible
impulse to do anything. everything DOS
sible to avert the future slaughter of
the flower Of our Nation, then the man
SO termed may rightly be proud of
the distinction. No so-called "pacifist,"
as far as the writer knows, objects TO
an Army and Navy adequate for the
protection of our citiZenry and our land.
What IS Objectionable Is the exagger-
ated and persistent emphasis given to
war propaganda and war preparation
rather than stateSmanlike effort to up
build the structure of peace and good
will throughout the world. In this view
1t Is more honorable to be called a
pacifiSt than to be labeled with the
blood-Strea eaked term of militariSt.
What can be done in this emergency
We can at least do this much: We can
speak boldly against the terrible per-.
version OF reason, common sense and
morality, as President Hoover and Mr..
Cecil have done. And let 1t never be
forgotten that We can be patriotic with
out shouting 1t from the houSetops. We
can prove our patriotism better by saw
Ing Ilc "OII0, AlonB WIN our 0atlVe
land, from ruin and degradation than
by drumming our breasts as 100 per cent
Americans, or by beating drums to call
the youth Of our Nation into agony and
death under the hurricane Of machine
gun f1re or suffocation in the torture OF
mustard gas. OStentatious patriotism
Is as much to be condemned as osten-
tatious religion. Phariseeism can be
displayed in bombastic patriotism just
as easily and just as contemptibly as
in the spiritual field. It Is as Often
sive and disgraceful in one as in the
other. In both its turgid parade is
nauSeating. This Is the type Of
patriotism which old Samuel johnson
had in mind when he said patriotism
is the last refuge OF the Scoundrel."
While that excor1ation Is too severe for
the purpose Of this letter. yet it contains
q moral that may be considered profit
ably In this day, when the Grass insanity
OF bigoted nationalism is 1auded Is a
cardinal virture while the principles Of
a radiant and comprehensive humanity
are cast into the unfathomable pit Of
determinate and unspeakable bar
barism.
Too often the excuse Is offered that
wars VIII come as long as the world
exists. Even II that be true, and no
one can predict the future, it does not
lessen our duty and responsibility to