Figure 1. 

 (rold Medal of the Rnval Astronnniical Society of London. 



THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF ASTRONOMY 



AS A PEACE PROMOTER. 



isx iki-:ne e. toye \\ak\i:k. 



Member of flic British Asfroiioiitieal Associntiuii and nf the Soeiete Astn>iti)iniqiie de France. 



There have been numerous conferences recently 

 to consider how best to promote international 

 arbitration and peace. 



The study of geography and history on a wider 

 scale has been suggested, 

 but the vast and living 

 power of astronomy in 

 this matter has, as far as I 

 can learn, been practically 

 overlooked. It is to this 

 subject, therefore, that I 

 wish to draw specia 

 attention in this article. 



Astronomy is pre-emin- 

 ently a living thing, ever 

 growing, changing, ami 

 advancing — requirin.i; 

 uniti-d and universal study. 

 More and more as time 

 goes on we find a tendency 

 towards cooperation 

 amongst astronomers 

 througiiout the whole 

 world. Racial and party 

 differences are at least 

 buried, if not wholly for- 

 gotten, in the study of a 

 science which deals with 

 other w orlds and universes. 



Fig I- RE 1. 

 Bronze Comet Medal of the United States of Aineric.i. 



and draws our thoughts from all that is earthl\-, to 



consider that which is heavenh". 



From its \ery nature, and the conditions necessar\- 



for its fa\-ourable study, it is peculiarly fitted to play 



a most potent part in the 

 promotion of universal 

 peace. Religion and 

 commerce are generally 

 acknowledged to be the 

 two greatest civilizers of 

 the world, but experi- 

 ence has shown that, in 

 the [)resent state of the 

 world's evolution, neither 

 has quite succeeded in 

 banishing war, 



I do not for a moment 

 claim that w here they have 

 failed, astronomv would 

 succeed, but I maintain 

 that the latter must be- 

 come a great bond of union 

 between those \-ery 

 nations at present divided 

 b\- both religion and com- 

 mercial interests. This is 

 largeh' due to the fact 

 that astronomv can ne\er 

 become a means of mone\-- 



254 



