The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-17
HUMANIzENC OF
PATRIOTISM is
CLAIMANTS PLEA
Spiritual Interpretation to
Life Can Danish War,
He Believes.

All wars between civilized nations
are in a very real sense internecene
wars which Tor the time being teaE
apart the bonds u the!r commerce
and muulate the culture they share
in common. The religion they
usually profess. wl.ich is founded
on the love Of Cod and Of the whole
brotherhood Of the race. Is not only
nulufed Il is temporarily destroyed
The irrationahty and anarchy OF
the whole business was never 50
apparent as It is now. Without dis
tinctlon, men and women Of any
degree Of m0ralized intelligence
concede this 10 be the case, and the
plain folk on whom wars catastro-
phe falls heaviest dread its pros
pect and loathe its actually.
WHY then. does the war spirit
persist. await us at birth. accompany
us through life. and even and anon
commander human resources which
are dearer than life itsen2 The
answer is fond in that past over
which gods themselves are said 20
nave no power. For 1000 years known
to history and thousands more lost
in the dim legends Of prehistoric
centuries. our far of ancestors
hunted for their food and danced TO
please their deities.
Pugnacity as a Philosophy
Pugnacity came later. but it came
to STAY. To be sure, We have dis
covered many avenues for its eX-
preston. and an equal number Of
forms with which to subllmate II.
Yet the combative mood is always
with us and IL has some lustfiaDle
uses. Ballots have supplanted bull
lets in the normal decisions Of SELF
governing and representative de-
mocracies. The controversies OF
theological disputants no longer
end in the fires of martyrdom-
Salutary measures Of a political
or social character are adopted by
ma ority votes after free debate.
Slowly but surely issues which Tor
merlv would have caused bloodshed
have been submitted to legal and
judicial processes. or aniehorated by
the steady growth of peace loving
sentiment.
Besides. the romance woven
around war has been dispelled oy
the modern mechanization OF It's
Observation-Disclosures These nave
blotted cut the halo woven around
the man in arms by the fond de-
votiOn Of every non-combatant OF
the state. Efforts 10 maintain the
splendor and virtue of armed con-
fiict by elaborate ceremonlals- state
liz rituals. the blessing OF the
churches and the eulogics Of rulers
and statesmen have not ayalled.
FutiIity shown in Open
It's stark reality IS now shown up
in the open. and its futility Is dem
onstrated by two factors. hrSt, that
the millions OF men who hunt eaIh
other down as a rule have no per-
sonaI cause for their hostility, ana
second. many do not know why they
are fighting.
Further. there are no winners III
this dreadful game What gains are
secured BY the victors are Simply
hurried beneath a varied ana lncaI-
culable mass of private griefs, pub
liz Indebtedness and the bitter
aftermath of social dlslocatlon ana
;te .,ouSe0uput suffering.
If this were the whole story. the
abolition OF so monStrous and IN
mixed an evil would seem 10 DC
long overdue. AS Dean lnge re-
marked. the continuance of war
could only be accounted for by Car
1vle's dictum that men are mostly
fools. or by RuskinS that they are
mostly knaves.
But the solution Of the problem
Is not so easy as all that quite
aside from the malignant influence
Of armament forms. an influence
which perhaps has been somewhat
overstated. the pressure Of popuIa-
tion is one Of the chief causes OF
armed conflict.
The want of raw materials by ma
tions that have to be highly indus
triahzed to support their over
crowded conditions Is a secondary
cause. one country has no COAL
another no oil. a third no rubber.
You naturally ask why in the lace
Of these needs. they do not adopt
free trade. Quite SO, but wars
breed the truCulent nauonahSm
which assumes economic forms,
These and the things previously
mentioned are more charged with
possibilities of armed conflict than
even racial antagonisms. These are
not ineradicable. hence there Is no
reasonable ground for the plea that
ancient foes must inevitably trans
init their repulSions and hates dur
Ing an indefinite period 10 come.
Union of English Speakers
Time was when EngliShmen and
Sco.s and Englishmen and Welsh
men we're irreconCilable foes. To-Day
they are welded into oneness OF
government and Of aim The next
svnchronization Will be that of all
English speaking and ike minded
peoples. and unless I am mistaken j
is well on the way.
Nor need We be fatahstS about the
outcome. AS unregulated emotion
ahsm gives way 10 reasoned think
ms and the remarkable facilities
for intercourse increase, aviation
and similar achievements Will vet
complete what appliances Of cleo
tricity have begun. and together
help 10 demoliSh the mental and
moral barriers which now obStruct
the courses OF peace and good viii.
Meanwhile. patriotism can not be
forfeited. but Il can be humanized.