The Gavelyte, February 1912

CEDARVlLLE COLLEGE 252 But mere money is one of the cheapest things in the world The prjce of Wdr can never be paid in go ld. If one desires to see the actual price of war, let him step upon th e battlefield and smell the smoke ot the burning powder, feel the warmth of that red huqian blood, hear the shrieks of the wounded, the groans of the dying. Such is the infernal music of war. You see that victim reel in his saddle and fall headlong from his horse; and at night. when the conflict is ov er, look upon the fa ces upturned to the moon– light, and you will know something of war. And yet you have seen but little. If you could but enter the wasted homes and see the broken hearts that war has made; if you could go to almshouses and o rphan's homes and see the thous – ands suffering; if you could but give of your own life's treasure-then you might know the real cost uf war. The eyes ot the wo rld are being opened to the £act that the cost of war is far too great in money and in men, in suffering and in sacrifice. It has heen made an anachron ism by ties of commerce and indu st ry, greater humanitari– anism, and intellectuality. Be ides all this it is morally wrnng, and no better words will convey the real meaning than the language of V ictor Hugo wh en he said, "Peace is the ,·irtue and war the r:1 ime of civiliza tion ." Gene ral Sherman expressed it well when he said, "wa r 1s hell." And it is an accepted fact that the less hell indi– viduals and nations have the better. Yet the wJrld is gr<tdually moving from its o ld tracks. Nations are be – coming fraternized . This can be viewed from various aspects. They all aim at one single goal-the desire? brotherhood of man, when nations become better acquaintecl, when the great world powers form a pact of peace, and erect a barrier against war. After such has been established, what is le ft? Armaments on land, on sea, and in the air. Centuries ago when jury trial supplanted ordeals, wagers of battle, and duels, the medieval castles become picturesque ruins, armor and sword found their way to the museum. And today cannot a similar thing take place? Yet we must not cry, 'Disarm! Disarm!" without supplying a substitu'e for the prese11t armamen ts. People have gone so long in this old channel that you canno t expect them to give it up until they know of something with a better end and less expense of blood and treasure. The best method for securing di sarmament is the establishment of an international court. These international issut·s must be settled, and if we do not have ar~itration we shall have war. If one asserts for a moment the im– possibility of permanent peace, let him consider those examples that are tend– ing toward it. The Alabama controversy was settled by the Geneva arbi – tration, the seals controversy by the Paris Tribunal, the Newfoundland Fish– eries controversies by by the Hague Tribun al. These three things have done more for the cause of peace than anything else in history. For the hrst time in history there are existing three favorable conditions to extiniuish war. 1st. There are no controversies pending between civilized nations which can be deemed vita I.