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NOTHING TO 00DO BUT FIGHT
By Dr. Frank Crane
o ---o
The writer with 16,000,000 readers
daily.
I
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Blmcrnard Shaw aptly says that when
once war breaks out the inhabitants of
a country have "nothing to do but
fight."
That is perfectly true.
There is no time to discuss the merits
of war when once war is declared. T'here
is no chance .o express your indivlidual
opinion.
If you are going to be a pacifist it
must be betweeu wars.
If you are going to express your
own opinion and criticise your gpvern
ment it must be between wars,
No matter how it may be in time of
peace, certainly in time of war it is
"my country, right or wrong-my coun
try."
It is the same with peace-making
agencies.
If there is anything done toward pre
venting war it must be done when
there is no war. Then only peoples are
in the proper frame of mind to receive
suggestions and to argue intelligently.
When once war breaks out there is
such an outburst of patriotism, and the
people are so inflamed by Iate, that they
are unable to see reason.
Some years have now elapsed lsince
the end of the Great War, and an
American general has just been able to
acknowledge that the Germans were as
brave as we were, and as honest.
Cannon may be the supreme argument
of kings, but they are not the argu
ment of democracy. Democracy argues
between cannonades.
War not only disturbs and deetroys
peoples, it not only demolishes property
and devastates fields, but it has an
effect on the minds of the people and
on their hearts. For a long time it dis
orders their thinking, and they are un
able to see clearly or to feel justly.
It will be a long time before condi
tions are such in Germany and France
that French and German can think
sanely each about the other.
When once wgr breaks out a man
must go with his fellows. Then he
realises that he is no greater than the
most of his countrymen, and whatever
his individual convictions, he must
adopt theirs. If he does not do it his
country will make him do ita
Hie must either go out and shoot the
enemy, and get shot by him. or ele.
stand up against the wall and hinhself
be shot by his fellow-citizens.
War is a triumph of intolerance, nar
rowness, and intense feeling. It will
have no, differences of opinion. Its
main argument is that of force, and we
must all bow to it.
Therefore if we are going to bring to
bear upon different questions, reason,
and intelligence, it must be betwmqen
wars. Once war breaks out there is
no hope.
Mr. Stanley Baldwin (Prime Minister
of Great Britain) left London on Sunday
for Aix-les-Beains (France) on a month's
holiday (statues a Reuter cablegram from
London)
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