The Days of a Man [1916 



twenty-five university students, members of "Inter- 

 national Polity Clubs" in different parts of the 

 United States. Some of my English friends attrib- 

 uted the move to German origin, but the suggestion 

 came wholly from liberal Scotland. The text of the 

 document read as follows: 



AN APPEAL FOR COOPERATION TOWARDS LASTING PEACE 



We, the undersigned, loyal citizens of the United States of 

 America, ourselves or our immediate ancestors born in some one 

 of the countries now at war, are confronted by the following facts : 



That the great war is bringing ruin to Europe and to civiliza- 

 tion everywhere, since it is working unparalleled havoc in the 

 best racial elements in each nation concerned, thereby exhaust- 

 ing the near future and entailing impoverishment, both physical 

 and mental; 



That, by the continuance of the war, an increasingly intol- 

 erable burden of sorrow and misery is thrown on the noncom- 

 batants, men, women, and children, of all nations concerned, 

 those who had no part in bringing on the war and no interest 

 to be served by it; 



That, in our judgment, no gain, political, social, or spiritual, 

 which may possibly result can compensate for the immeasur- 

 able loss of human blood, intellect, and energy the war entails, 

 nor for the overwhelming material waste and distress it has 

 already caused or counteract the feelings of fear, hatred, and 

 revenge which it everywhere engenders; 



Therefore, irrespective of issues originally involved, we are 

 convinced that hostilities should be brought to an immediate 

 close. We cannot believe that a sweeping victory for either 

 side will offer real or final solution of any problem, since attempts 

 to gather fruits of victory would leave an increasing legacy of 

 fear and hate, the seed for future wars. We question whether 

 military operations can of themselves bring the war to an end, 

 and the longer it continues, the more insistent and complicated 

 become the problems involved. 



We therefore urge all people within the United States to 

 lay aside passion and prejudice, and to use all possible means 

 towards casting the undivided influence of this great neutral 



C 688 3 



