Chapter IV: Part 4

The militarist is responsible either directly or indirectly for the state of mind which causes these cruelties. The mind is so calloused by the spirit of inhumanity which the militarist fosters, and by the atrocities which according to his reasoning he rightfully practices, that without giving a thought, he will, when appointed as a member of a firing squad to execute an illustrious hero or public benefactor, shoot him down without hesitation, although knowing that the bullet kills one of the noblest men who ever lived on earth.

The militarist thinks in terms of bloodshed, and measures everything in terms of force, hence, his encouragement of the use and application of murderous machinery and methods by the nations of the earth.

The militarist is responsible for the existence of the soldier, whose mind, conscience, life, and very soul are in the keeping of his officers, for all that was human in him, all that was religious in him, and everything that constitutes the distinctive qualities of manhood was sworn away when he took the oath of enlistment.

The mind of the militarist is bounded on the North by Blood, on the East by Envy and Hate, on the South by Sorrow, Horrors and Distress, and on the West by Demolition, Destruction, Devastation and Gore.

The militaristic mind travels in a trench by stage coach, lives in a cave, reads ancient tomes by candle light, thinks of the enemy skulking about, and fears that an antagonist is lurking in every nook and corner, and that behind every tree and fence foes are lying in ambush. It is blind to everything that has happened since the dawn of civilization, and is seemingly ignorant of the results of progress and of almost every matter of common knowledge regarding civilized conditions of life. It requires proof of what every mind knows—that we are not bloodthirsty cannibalistic enemies—and in spite of that construes plain English language and International Law to mean something entirely different from what Webster ever imagined or any other mind would deem possible.

Be it remembered, however, that while the Militaristic Mind lives under the conditions before stated, the Militaristic Personage uses electricity, the telephone, telegraph, aeroplane, the Palatial Hotel, long range telescopes, high explosives, rapid firers, and all other modern conveniences and luxuries produced by civilization, which the Militaristic Mind ignores—the owner of the Militaristic Mind being entirely distinct from the Mind itself, and quite fully aware of changed conditions.

The Militaristic Mind is unable to see anything but fighting, which in reality is wholesale murder, but as he sees it, it is merely right being packed up by might, as was believed in the dark uncivilized days when wild tribes first banded together for purposes of massacre on a larger and more effective scale. It teetotally objects to change in the settling of disputes between nations, and still wishes to annihilate the enemy who has the unbridled audacity to disagree, and still wishes to continue smashing and cutting the enemy to pieces rather than recognize civilized methods of settling international misunderstandings, methods in harmony with the times.

To the Militaristic Mind the idea that life is more sacred than property is the most abhorrent possible. The Militaristic Mind, however, has great merits and shows great possibilities when occasionally it breaks from its fetters, and would be a very excellent sort of mind if it was only humane as well as inhuman; but being the latter apparently prevents it from being the former. But there is hope for the Militaristic Mind. It has been getting so many shocks and severe jolts in the past few months that a fissure must soon appear in it through which common sense and the ideas of modern civilization will penetrate and seep in, and in time undermine its rock-ribbed precedents and prejudices.

Freed from the smoke, rust, and cobwebs which now enmesh it everybody will admire and respect it, instead of being, as nearly everybody is now, irritated by it.

Everything considered, no man can fall lower in the scale of humanity than a militarist—it is a depth beneath which we cannot go, for the greatest thing in the world is man, and the greatest thing in man is mind, therefore, one who concocts and schemes to destroy ruthlessly and wantonly, the greatest thing in the world, is the worst enemy the world contains, and the rock bottom of the depth has been reached by this arch murderer.

There is no such thing as being neutral in this regard. Every individual is either a militarist, or he is opposed to it. When the sheep are separated from the goats, one camp or the other will be supported by an extra member, and that extra member is you, therefore be sure and be counted on the right side.

Having to choose between the two alternatives of safety and war, or in other words between peace, good will and hell, strange to say, some choose the worst, which seems incredible and leads one to think them helplessly hopeless. The time is at hand for the population of the world to recognize the fallacy of force and the perniciousness of that abominable, detestable doctrine, by inaugurating conciliatory methods appropriate to the present standard of civilization.

A PEACE SUGGESTION
IN A WARLIKE GUISE—AN EFFECTIVE POLICY OF NAVAL DEFENSE FOR THE UNITED
STATES AT A MINIMUM COST

Samuel Lake, who is called the father of the “even-keel submarine,” a device the use of which has given the German submarines such terrible efficiency, gives some interesting views of the future of this terror of the seas in an interview published in a prominent daily paper. We have all seen during the past year how mechanical and chemical invention has added to the horrors of war. The query most vital to the future of peace is as to whether the further development and perfection of such devices will not make war so horrible that it will be impossible.

Mr. Lake is the head of a great submarine shipyard at Bridgeport, Conn., and speaks with the authority of an expert.

He expresses his firm belief that when the submarine is fully recognized and when the governments of the great nations fully prepare themselves for defense and offense with such craft, “there and then naval war will cease!”

Submarine preparedness will not end marine warfare merely by making it horrible, for horrors do not deter men from belligerency, but by making successful operations by other naval vessels impossible. Mr. Lake thinks that Germany has been moved to keep her fleet locked up in safe harbors more by fear of the allied submarines than by fear of the allied dreadnoughts. It is to be noted that the Allies have not made such effective use of submarines in this war as the Germans have, but this is not because the Allies are not equipped with these under water craft. They have, in the aggregate, more than Germany has, but they have had few German sea-going craft to operate on. The German merchant marine was swept from the seas at the very outset of hostilities, and the German fighting craft, except the submarines, have been kept safely hidden.

Applying his theory to the elucidation of a proper defensive policy for the United States, Mr. Lake says: “The United States can make itself so strong that it will be practically beyond attack by providing itself with a sufficient number of submarines of a defensive type.” In this view the creation of a big submarine navy by this country would not be a policy of aggression, for the submarines can not be effectively used to attack shore defenses or to land armies abroad, but it would be simply a provision of prudence to guard our own shores from hostile fleets and hostile armies.

A fleet of submarines, provided with sufficient freeboard and buoyancy to permit themselves to ride at anchor comfortably in all weathers, fitted with submarine signals, searchlights, sound-receiving apparatus and wireless, if there were enough of them to form a cordon about the city or harbor to be defended, could not, in Mr. Lake’s opinion, be beaten.

He estimates the number needed for the effective defense of our east and west coasts at one hundred and fifty, the cost of which would not be more than the cost of five super-dreadnoughts. He also believes that the speed of the submarines can be developed to 25 knots an hour, which is the maximum speed of the larger and heavier craft of the great navies. This would enable them to surround the big battleships coming near our coast, and in many cases to pursue them farther out to sea. The smaller ones could be shipped by rail if it should be found necessary to quickly concentrate a fleet of under sea boats at any particular point on sea coast or lake or river. These smaller submarines Mr. Lake calls amphibious boats, and they would be in addition to the large submarine craft stationed in or near the harbors. In a comprehensive statement of the general merits of this plan of national defense, the inventor says:

“The moment a hostile fleet appeared near any port, submarines could
be rushed to that port in such numbers as were deemed necessary—and
they would ‘get’ the hostile fleet. No doubt about it.

“Really, for coast defense, such a fleet of submarines could be more
speedily mobilized than the fastest fleet of battle cruisers and super
dreadnoughts.

“If an attack threatened Charlestown, submarines could proceed by rail
from New York at thirty-five miles an hour, in certain safety.

“Delivery of such boats as I refer to could begin within nine months,
and three or four a month could be delivered thereafter, using only
existing facilities.

“We have plenty of shops which could turn out the gasoline engines
they would need. Diesel oil engines are superior for a boat can be run
twice as far on a given quantity at one-fifth the cost, and the heavy
oil used in Diesel engines is non-explosive, but the disadvantages of
gasoline could be largely overcome by carrying the fluid in tanks
outside the boat. Thus a supply for 500 miles of cruising could be
carried without danger.

“I believe this suggestion for the provision of amphibious submarines
to be the most important suggestion for the defense of the United
States which has been made in many years. It offers the quickest, the
most effective, and the least expensive defense so far imaginable.

“Our capacity for turning out craft of this type would be enormous.

“All lake and ocean yards could build the hulls, all the automobile
and boat engine building plants could build engines for them, and
there are several electric appliance and storage battery plants that
could build the electrical equipment.

“To my mind, the day is close at hand when the only safe place for a
battleship will be an interned pond closely protected against land
attack.

“And let us consider the cost of maintaining such a defensive fleet in
time of peace, comparing it to the cost of the conventional modern
naval fleet. To man a submarine of the coast defense type will require
twenty men, while the amphibious submarines which I have suggested can
be manned by crews of ten men each.

“Say we had fifty of the amphibious boats. That would require a total
of 500 men. Estimate the force necessary to man the coast defense type
at 3,000 men. Thus, less than 4,000 men would give us a perfect
defense for every harbor in America, and, I think, could prevent any
invading force from landing elsewhere on our shores.

“The system would be immensely superior to our present coast defense
system, each fort or group of forts of which defends only a small
radius of territory immediately adjacent thereto. This submarine
defense, through its mobility, would defend not only our harbors, but
every inch of our shore line.”

ECONOMIC WORTH OF WAR ORDERS

A banker pointed out recently that too much stress might be laid on the fact that the extra business being done by arms and ammunition making concerns is of a temporary sort. The profits entailed, he said, would not prove to be simply an unexpected inflow of cash to be distributed to stockholders and considered merely as a gift of fortune. The extraordinary earnings would be used in part to strengthen the position of many companies for the future, funded debts in the way of long term issues as well as temporary loans would be liquidated and working capital sufficient for increased manufacturing needs would be laid aside. Knowledge of this far-reaching value of war orders, the banker thought, was receiving more consideration from thoughtful investors than the desire for big extra dividends.

New York _Times_.

PAUPERISM DECREASING

Pauperism is decreasing in the United States, according to the latest statement issued by the U. S. Census Bureau. “The ratio of almshouse paupers has steadily declined at every census since 1880,” declares the bureau’s last bulletin. In detail, the bureau reports that one third of the paupers in the almshouses in 1910 were under fifty-five years of age and one third over seventy years of age; the males outnumbered the females two to one, and there was a preponderance of persons of foreign birth.

The important fact brought out, however, is that the almshouse population is not only actually decreasing but is also steadily assuming a more shifting character, which means that the poor-houses are becoming merely a temporary shelter instead of a permanent home for the unfortunates who are compelled to take advantage of their hospitality.

THE TENANT FARMER

The Socialists are working overtime in an effort to frighten the people with their tales about the tenant farmer. They point out that the tenant farmers have increased much faster than homeowning farmers, there being about 8 per cent. of the latter as against about 16 per cent. of the former. Recently the United States government made an investigation into the condition of the tenant farmer in the three states of Indiana, Illinois and Iowa and from this we find that the average size of farms managed by tenants for the three states is 172 acres; that the average income of each farm is $1,732, and the average expense $740, leaving for the average tenant farmer an income of $992 a year.

* * * * *

_Mother_: “Willie, I’m shocked at you. Do you know what becomes of
little boys who use bad words when they play baseball?”

_Willie_: “Yes’m. They grow up and become golf players.”

—_Boston Transcript._

THE INFORMATION DESK

Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labor, in a letter recently made public, declared his abhorrence of war, but at the same time his belief that there are some things more abhorrent than war. One of these things would be to be robbed of the birthright of freedom, justice, safety and character. “Against any attempt of any person or group of persons, or nation or nations, to undermine or destroy these fundamentals of normal human existence and development,” he adds, “I would not only fight to defeat it, but would try to prevail upon every red-blooded liberty and humanity loving man to resist to the last degree.”

* * * * *

President Kilpatrick, of the School Garden Association of America, in an address at Labor Temple in New York, deprecated the general disposition to educate all children to live in the city. “It is time,” he said, “we should educate them so that they will have an opportunity to make a choice if they wish to do so.” To this end he would encourage classes in rural and household economics, and give the advantages of country living a fair show.

* * * * *

The trade balance of the United States for the current year seems likely to exceed a billion dollars. This is due to unusually large exports of food stuffs at high prices, and to exports of war supplies and munitions.

* * * * *

This year’s crops in the United States give promise of unusual abundance. The estimate is for 950,000,000 bushels of wheat, 1,300,000,000 of oats, and about three billion bushels of corn. There will probably be some reduction in the cotton crop because of the substitution of food crops for cotton in most of the cotton states. A smaller cotton crop will naturally mean better prices for that staple. So on the whole the outlook for continued prosperity in the United States is good if this country remains at peace.

* * * * *

If the Mexican people possessed intelligence and courage enough to demand and enforce the cessation of murderous activities by their bandit leaders, that country might now enjoy great material prosperity, for it is rich in things which the world is paying high prices for. It has copper, rubber, and petroleum, as well as gold and silver, and a soil that could be made to produce abundant food crops.

* * * * *

The recently issued Summer Social Register of 1915 shows a reduction of 75 per cent. in foreign residences or banking addresses abroad of Americans. This indicates the effect of the war on society in restricting foreign travel from this country. A Wall Street note also indicates that many notable financiers and captains of industry are taking their summer vacations in visits to the Pacific Coast and other portions of their own country instead of the usual European visit. The tourist agencies have also changed their activities to promoting “seeing America first.”

* * * * *

Some time ago Prof. Kuno Meyer predicted that the present war, instead of being quickly ended, would develop into a world-wide war, in which America would try to remain neutral, but would ultimately have to fight to protect her own interests. Let us hope that Prof. Meyer is too pessimistic. Already there are some significant signs that peace may not be so far off as some people suppose.

* * * * *

Miss Angela Morgan, one of the American delegates to the International Women’s Conference at The Hague, says that German college professors whose names are well known in the United States told her that they were opposed to the annexation of Belgium or any other foreign territory.

* * * * *

The old Latin motto to learn from the enemy might be applied with advantage (to themselves) by the British nation whose eminent leaders are complaining of slack work in the manufacture of munitions of war. A neutral correspondent of a London paper, returning from Germany says the workmen in German ammunition factories put in fifteen to twenty hours’ continuous work at a shift; that they never strike and never go on a vacation. Every worker works with the utmost diligence and energy of which he is capable, because he knows that if he slacks he will be sent to the front and placed on the firing line. This is war.

* * * * *

The American _Army and Navy Journal_ thinks that militarism will not be dead no matter who wins in the great war. It prophesies that when the conflict does end “everything points to a continuance of the military systems as they existed before the war, strengthened and expanded in accordance with the lessons learned from the conflict now raging.” The only thing that can save the world from such a calamity is the establishment of a World Court for Judicial Settlement by the agreement of the majority of the great nations.

* * * * *

Speaking of the talk of war with Germany over the _Lusitania_ tragedy, Cryus Northrop, President of the Minnesota Peace Society, and President Emeritus of the Minnesota University, said in an address to the students: “It is easy to talk of drastic measures, but what could we do in the event of war? Could we send our Navy over there? Where are the 48 British Dreadnaughts? We cannot suppose any different treatment would be accorded our fleet if we went over there. And could we send our army over there to be killed under ground? The idea is preposterous.”

* * * * *

The most prominent person who has called ex-Secretary Bryan a traitor is Colonel Henry Watterson, the most distinguished Democratic Editor in the country. He said in his paper, the Louisville _Courier Journal_, under the caption, “Treachery Unspeakable.” “The President’s note (to Germany) contains nothing which should jostle the Imperial sensibilities, but the actions and utterances of Mr. Bryan cannot be so dismissed. Men have been shot and beheaded, even hanged, drawn and quartered, for treason less heinous. The recent Secretary of State commits not merely treason to the country at a critical moment, but treachery to his party and its official head.”

* * * * *

H. G. Wells, the famous British author, in a recent letter to the London _Times_, severely criticised his government for lack of efficiency in carrying on the war. He says: “Throughout almost the entire range of our belligerent activities we are conservative, imitative and amateurish, when victory can fall only to the most vigorous employment of the best scientific of all conceivable needs and material. Unless our politicians can perform the crowning service of organizing science in war more thoroughly, I do not see any great hope of a really glorious and satisfactory triumph for us in this monstrous struggle.”

* * * * *

Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, of Massachusetts, in an address at the Commencement Exercises of Union College, said it would be as futile to abolish armaments as it would be to abolish knives because knives often inflict wounds. The reason of war, in his opinion, lies far deeper than armaments—it is the desire to use armaments wrongly for aggression. A general reduction of armaments should be sought with earnestness, “but for one nation to disarm and leave itself defenseless in an armed world is a direct incentive and an invitation to war.”

* * * * *

Governor McCreary of Kentucky is a believer in peace, but, unlike William Jennings Bryan, a believer in peace with honor. He is quoted as saying recently: “If the flag of the United States is insulted on land or sea I am ready for war, and in the event of war I shall exercise my prerogative as Commander in Chief of Kentucky troops and go to the front.”

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling. 2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.