XXII THE CAUSES OF WAR, AND THE REMEDIES 391 



such rulers when their crimes against their own peoples 

 or against humanity becomes too great to be borne. This 

 practice also renders it ever more and more difficult for 

 advanced nations to disarm, and thus gives to militarism 

 an additional reason for its existence. From every point 

 of view, whether of Christianity, humanity, or human 

 progress, the supply of modern instruments of war to 

 barbarous rulers, for the coercion of their own subjects, 

 and as a standing menace to civilization, should be 

 absolutely forbidden. For this purpose, and in order that 

 legal enactments to this end may be effective, we must 

 try and create a sentiment of horror against those who 

 continue thus to betray the cause of civilization, as being 

 not only traitors to their country but enemies to the human 

 race. In my opinion, men who, after due notice and in 

 spite of its declared illegality, continue to supply these 

 weapons to the possible enemies of their country should 

 be declared outlaws in every Christian or civilized 

 community. 



Hardly less foolish and wicked is the free trade in these 

 instruments and armaments of war, so that directly one 

 or more of the civilized nations are preparing for war 

 the workshops of all the other civilized nations are at 

 once engaged in supplying every kind of destructive 

 appliance, even though they may in a year or two be 

 used against themselves. The time will surely soon 

 come when this conduct will be looked upon as the very 

 culminating point of combined folly and wickedness 

 that the world has seen. The only rational mode of 

 procedure would be to forbid altogether the private 

 manufacture or sale of war material. War is a national 

 act, and so long as it exists all preparation for it should 

 be kept strictly in the hands of national governments. 



This supply of the implements of war is the work of 

 capitalists in their own interests ; but even worse, if that 

 be possible, is the action of the great civilized govern- 

 ments themselves in allowing their trained officers to 

 engage in the organization of the armies of semi -barbarous 

 rulers, thus rendering it more difficult to coerce these 

 rulers in the interests of civilization, and indirectly, yet 



