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The Commoner
MARCH, 1916
19
The Better Way
From tho Congregationallst and
Christian World.
The present Preparedness move
ment in the United States is an at
tempt to insure national safety- All
good citizens ought to be agreed up
on this as one of the fundamental,
necessary purposes in our national
life. But good citizens are far apart
in their theories of how best to make
America safe. Wo are bound to seek
the best way. Naturally wo think
first of the old traditional ways. Then
&s wo count the cost and consider
the possible dangers involved in the
old .ways we are bound to turn with
open mind to new ways and decide
whether or not a new way may not
bo best.
The upward course of the human
race has been achieved by discarding
old ways for new and better ones.
War and preparation for war re
main among evils that are perpetu
ated because a new and better way
of regulating international relations
has not yet been established.
If we believed that the abolition of
war were impossible we might sup
port the military Preparedness pro
gram that proposes the strongest ac
cumulation of force which we could
secure and maintain. But we believe
that war can be abolished and that
there will be a good chance to abolish
it at the close of the present terrible
conflict, when all nations will see as
they never saw before how stupid,
costly and cruel, how disastrous for
all the world is modern war.
Our own great free nation ought to
be able and equipped to lead the
world out of its old jungle life of bar
barism into a new, true family of na
tions. The eyes of the world are up
on, us doubting, fearing, yet held
by a, great hp,pe. Shall wo have
Preparedness? "Yes, if it be prepared
ness rightly to meet that day.
But if Preparedness must be the
Wilson program or the Navy league
program of the Roosevelt program or
any other program that makes us
any more of a military nation than
we have ever been before, just when
military preparedness has been
proved such a monstrous, tragic fail
ure for making nations safe, let us
oppose it with all our moral might.
There is a better way.
If the Wilson administration and
the national congress with honest,
nonpartisan patriotism wish to have
such an army as we really need and
a navy adequate for all times, let
them quit wasting the people's money,
spend it where it will do the most
good and spend as much but no more
the coming year than is required to
keep .the present military and naval
establishment up to the normal stand
ard of recent years. To do more is
to advertise that we are getting ready
to fight, that we fear Germany and
Japan and even England, as Con
gressman Mann boldly asserted last
week; that we distrust all nations;
that we are going to throw our pow
erful influence toward the perpetua
tion of armaments, the indefinite con
tinuance of competition in navies and
armies and all the deadly devices of
science which menace the peace of
the world, stimulate unending sus
picions and keep the nations from
getting together as friends and liv
ing together as law-abiding neigh
bors. There is a better way.
Already we have taken the first
steps in the better way in our rela
tions with other American republics.
The new Declaration of Pan-America
must take the place (the sooner the
better) of the outgrown Monroe Doc
trine. A league of the western re
publics established now might easily
become expanded into a league of all
neutrals outside the present war and
later a league of all nations upon the
earth. Each would bo free in all
righteous endeavors, all bound by
laws mutually mado and adminis
tered, all protected and restrained
by international police and concerted
financial and commercial discipline.
This is a better way.
Wo who hate war, love peace, de
mand justico and strive for the tri
umph of good over evil have no right
to falter or retreat from this better
way that now lies open before us. A
record of our hundred years of peace
with the British empire, the evidence
of our four thousand miles of Can
adian frontier unfortified and un
garded yet safe for a century, the
scores of international disputes set
tled by arbitration beforo Tho Hague
tribunals, the treaties pledging de
lay for possible adjustment before
declaration of war, recent Pan-American
co-operation, international cred
it and trade alliances; educational,
moral and religious progress and the
ever-strengthening world brotherhood
of democracy all have prepared the
way to establish world organization
and world peace.
Never had any nation a higher
mission from tho Prince of Peace than
the United States of America has to
day. Shall we scare our people with
childish nightmares of threatened in
vasion? Shall wo commission our
mercenary munition makers to pile
up more millions of blood money and
turn our young manhood from high
callings in order to be better equipped
for wholesale murder of their fellow
men? Shall we increase tax burdens
and national debt? Shall patriotism
forever be selfish and brutal? Shall
we let military preparedness engross
the chief thought of the nation,
knowing that only one great enter
prise can be considered at one time,
in this hour of world crisis? There
is a better way.
If all the brain and money and en
thusiasm now devoted to military
Preparedness in tho United States
were turned to constructive efforts
in preparation for peace, America
would be safer from war for a cen
tury than it can ever be with all the
navies, air fleets, armaments and ar
mies that our rich, resourceful na
tion could produce. If we give with
liberal hand from our abundance to
bind up tho bleeding wounds and re
habilitate the devastated lands, if we
unselfishly perform the part of Good
Samaritan abroad and give those who
come to our shores a fair chance and
equal opportunity, wo shall be safe,
all nations will be more secure and
we shall have done the duty that God
calls us to do. He calls us to his
better way.
PEACE RESLOUTIONS
Resolutions adopted by tho Peace
Makers' committee of Pacific coast
churches at a meeting held in Los
Angeles, Feb. 14, 1916:
Resolved, by the executive com
mittee of the Peace Makers' commit
tee, representing the Pacific coast
churches, that we disapprove of any
increase in the army and navy of tho
United States at this time, beyond
that provided for in the normal ap
propriations. This is especially im
portant in view of the fact that this
country should remain neutral in this
crisis, and continue to manifest a
friendly interest in all the contend
ing nations;
And be it further resolved, that in
view of the fidelity and honor with
which the Japanese government has
kept its agreement with this country
in the matter of Japanese immigra
tion, and In view of the harmony
now prevailing in Japan and Califor
nia, we strongly protest against the
introduction of the Eastern-Asiatic
problem into the discussions con
cerning increased armament in this
country;
CONCENTRATION SPELLS SUCCESS
when rightly used, but when wronly used It If. wurc to brlnff failure.
MoBt persons concontratc on that which unnoys, Irritates and makes for
falluro and loss of memory. When wo aro hIcIc It Ib hard to concentrate
on tho thought of being well. When wo aro despondent from any cause
it la difficult to concentrate on tho Idea of our over bolng happy again.
When wo have lost money It In oay to
soncentrnto on our loss, hut almost Im
possible to concentrate on our having'
an abundance again.
Wo all Jock the doom and windows of
our homo to keep out Intrude, but do
yon lock tho doors and wlndow'H of
your thought world and bo keep out tho
thoughtH which tnko away ono'H
strength, hope, faith, courago, memory,
ambition, power and ability? Do you
belong to the class of people who have
used their CONOISNTHATIOX rightly or
wrongly? Do you own your own mind?
Ifafl your CONCKNTHATION brought
you niiccchh or fnlluro; happiness or
sorrow; health or slcknonn; brilliancy
of mind or Iobb of memory7 Can you
concentrato for flvo mlnutcn on any one
iIiIhk yu vritnt, shutting out entlroly
every random, Btrny, tramp thought?
Try It
CONCENTRATION
Its Mentology and Psychology
II y. V. W. KI2AHS, 31. P.
(Maxtor of PNycliolofty)
teachcB how to do tills.
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stt nllHtinitAri . .l..t 1. ......
niiiunii iui Wllilb liu Willi LH.
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All persons posses this POWER, but few havo over doveloped It or
learned to uso It rightly. Every person enn learn to ubo It rightly by
persistently applying tho lessons taught In this book. No matter how
many books on Concentration you may have read, nor how many IcHsons
you may havo taken, THIS BOOK IS DIFFERENT. You need to lenrn
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CENTRE PUBLISHING COMPANY,
Suite 528, 108-110 West 34th Street (at Broadway)
New York
MILITARISM AND THE LEADERS
Democratic growth lias always suf
fered a tremendous disadvantage
from tho fact that tho powers that
be have generally been on the other
side. Those in position, in high rank,
those whose words would be listened
to because of position and rank, and
because of tho means of publication
open to position and rank, havo been
with few exceptions ranged on the
side opposed to tho evolution of dem
ocratic ideas. The result has been
that large numbers of more or less
unthinking people have blindly ac
quiesced and followed tho leaders.
Too many, even in these days of ed
ucation, when they read an article or
hear a speech, are prone to judge not
by what is said, but by the position
which tho writer or speaker happens
to hold.
This is a danger at the present
time in this conflict between militar
ism and democracy. With few ex
ceptions tho writers and speakers and
publications that have positions of
prominence are on the side of mil
itarism. I say militarism, because,
however the term may veil itself un
der the name of preparation, the two
are, as any one may see who does
not wish to dodge, essentially the
same. Very few men of high posi
tion in politics or in the professions
have come out boldly against the in
crease of expenditure on army and
navy. Those whom Horace called
the, "Lords of tho Earth" are on the
side of militarism. These are they
who can speak on approved plat
forms and can publish their words in
approved periodicals. These are
they to whoso opinions many a man
instinctively bows when he does not
take the privilege of thinking.
But happily among the men of
high repute and great influence there
are exceptions, as there always have
been at such times. These wish no
blind following. Their appeal is to
all men to think, an appeal which is
of the very essence of democracy.
The militarists are not appealing to
men to think and reason; they are
appealing to men to bo suspicious
and alarmed. Those who have at
heart tho preservation of our demo
cratic foundations aro asking men
not to allow themselves to bo stam
peded by suspicions and alarms into
a policy which is strango to our
ideals.
There stands out at this critical
time ono who perhaps with more
earnestness than any other public
man is asking American voters to
think. He is ono who has gained and
held respect and influence in spite of
all tho satire and minimizing which
havo been used against him, and in
spite of his own failures and mis
takes. Never in his whole career has
he served tho nation as now. Never
has he fought the good fight for tho
cause of the whole people more nobly
than ho is now fighting in the samo
cause against what he clearly sees
would bo an Inevitable setback to
democracy. He sees that if this
country descends to tho policy of
militarism, it means a retrograde
movement which may last for cen
turies. To him and to a few others
in commanding positions, the cause
of democracy owes a debt beyond the
counting of words.
Not often in the history of the
world havo such men as Mr. Bryan
had the opportunity of serving tho
interests of humanity more surely
than in the present crisis. Whatever
tho Issue may be, their words will
shine when the records are made of
tho long increasing purpose which
alms at a broader, freer, better life
for all mankind. It will not be their
fault if American voters follow
thoughtlessly the policy of militar
ism, however powerful it may be ac
claimed by the majority of those who
are in prominent and commanding
positions. J. H. Dillard, in Tho
Public.
The man who Is too lazy tomake
hay while the sun shines nearly al
ways has to borrow an umbrella
when It rains. Chicago News.
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