SEPTEMBER 15, 1914 



appeared quite so absurd as at the present moment. 

 It ought never to have currency again, even among 

 the thoiightless, after the present troubles in Europe. 



Every power in Europe has been arming itself for 

 years — to keep the peace, of course. Great arma- 

 ments were to prevent war. Billions were spent for 

 this supposed " insurance." 



And now Europe is war-mad from end to end. 

 The continent was made a tinder-box by all this 

 " arming against war," and a madman in Bosnia et 

 a match to it. Like a spark dropped into a roomful 

 of explosives, it starts a conflagration which no one 

 can control. 



A man armed to the teeth with a chip on his 

 shoulder invites a fight. So does a nation similarly 

 equipped. And a nation is no more justified thus 

 to arm herself and go out seeking trouble than is an 

 individual. 



The next time some minister or legislator argues 

 for bigger armaments in order to avert war it will 

 be in order for some one familiar with the events of 

 the summer of 1914 to call him to his senses. One 

 way to prevent a tindei'-box fire is not to provide the 

 tinder-box. 



■While we are about it, here is something 

 else from that same paper: 



The popiilation of the world has been estimated at 

 1,623,300,000. The population of the countries al- 

 ready at war is considerably more than naif of this 

 total. 



It is a world war. 



And in the area of fighting it is true to its scope. 

 Europe is ablaze, north, south, east, and west. There 

 have been battles in Togoland and on Laka Victoria, 

 in the heart of central Africa. Within a week or 

 two, war will n.ake the Orient lurid. 



In the midst of it all, the United States follows 

 its own str.aight path, but little disturbed by the 

 almost universal conflagration. The republic of the 

 West feels horror and pity, and realizes more than 

 ever before its destiny as the world's foremost ex- 

 ponent of peace, of live and let live ; but the voca- 

 tions and avocations of its people, their daily pursuit 

 of happiness, have known no change. 



Now, here is something I clipped from 

 the Union Signal: 



It seems incredible that such a conflici can be 

 precipitated in this century, which we have fondly 

 believed heralded the establishment of world-wide 

 peace ; and we can only hope and fervently pray that 

 a miracle may still be wrought, and that some of the 

 horrors of the present situation may be averted. 



Amen to the above ! I am looking, watch- 

 ing, and praying for that " miracle." 



Another thing that i^leases me is to see 

 that our agricultural periodicals, almost 

 without exception, are deploring war. Here 

 are some clippings from Successful Farmer, 

 of Des Moines, la. 



ANOTHER LIE NAILED. 



The halls of Congress and the platforms of Chau- 

 tauquas have rung with the bold statement time and 

 again that a big standing army and a powerful navy 

 insures peace. 



Was there ever a spot in all the world where na- 

 tions were so prepared for war as in the war area 

 of Europe? Being prepared is the only :liing that 

 made possible a war on a week's notice. Had there 

 been no great armies and navies there could have 

 been no war precipitated over such a trivial cause. 



It is the " gun-toter " who is a menace to the 

 safety of all good people, be the gun-toter a villain 

 or a nation. If Europe had had as rulers a few 

 ' schoolmasters " gifted in the »i-t of ' watchful 



waiting " there would not now be the terrible story 

 to tell of wars among so-called civilized nations. 



It would seem that the human race is in travail, 

 preceding the birth of international peace. Just as 

 the saloon and gambling and white slavery are mak- 

 ing one last and desperate fight for existence, so it 

 seems that the war dogs are not putting on the last 

 big show. 



Judging the present by the past, we can make a 

 pretty sure bet that the war trust is back of inter- 

 national troubles. 



The makers of cannon and armor plate and pow- 

 der can't sell much of their wares when the war 

 dogs play together in international peace, so it is to 

 their interest somehow to keep nations .pitting in 

 each other's faces. 



In every nation is the lobbyist of the war trust, 

 inciting legislative bodies to appropriate more of th 

 overburdened tax-payer's money for the bu'lding o^ 

 battle-ships and fortifications. 



" War is hell," and we want to burn that fact 

 into every reader's soul. It never becomes any thing 

 else, no matter how our heart throbs with so-called 

 patriotism when the army marches by. War is 

 devastation. War is the life-long suffering for the 

 ones who are spared by war. 



In closing this Home paper I wish to 

 make a quotation from Sir Walter Scott's 

 writings of a hundred years ago. In the 

 book entitled " Ivanhoe " a wounded knight 

 lay entombed in his prison. He was not able 

 to get up and look out of his gi-ated win- 

 dow, but asked " Rebecca," a Jewess, to 

 station herself at the window, and witness 

 the conflict going on outside. When she 

 turned away, thinking she could not bear to 

 see what was going on, he implored her to 

 turn back once more and tell him what she 

 saw; and as she looked she gave utterance 

 to the following which seems to be almost a 

 prayer : 



" Great God ! Hast thou given men thine 

 own image that it should be thus cruelly 

 defaced by the hands of their brethren ? " 



In defense of the expense of our mam- 

 moth men-of-war, we clip the following 

 closing paragraph from a very valuable 

 article from Collier's Weekly for June 6. 

 It was printed, keep in mind, before the 

 European war started. 



As with individuals, so with nations. As long as 

 certain nations go armed in a wild and savage world, 

 .just so long must the enlightened nations go armed. 

 The wild and savage world, with its silly man-killing 

 devices, is doomed to pass. But until it passes, it 

 would be silliness on the part of the en ightened 

 nations to put aside their weapons. 



An international police force and an international 

 police court will mark the beginning of the end of 

 war. But as yet these two institutions Dave not 

 been founded. So the United States will be com- 

 pelled to go on building $15,000,000 battleships and 

 training its young men to the old red profession. 



The point is, when wild and savage conditions 

 make it imperative for a man or nation to go armed, 

 it is equally imperative for the man or nation to go 

 well armed. Ever has the sword, in the hands of the 

 strong breeds, made for wider areas and longer 

 periods of peace. In the end it is the sword that 

 will make lasting and universal peace. When the 

 last savage nation is compelled to lay down its 

 weapons, war will have ceased. War itself, superior 

 war if you please, will destroy itself. 



