Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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of far greater importance than the sum total of all man’s efforts since the beginning of time. It is up to us of the coming generation to bring to a glorious fulfillment the endeavors of those who have bravely taken the first steps toward the goal of world peace. The question which comes to mind is “Shall we be able to avoid war?” Elihu Root declares, “There never is a difference so great that it cannot be peaceably settled if ap- proached in the right spirit and there never can be a difference so trifling that it may not be made the occasion for war if approached in the wrong spirit.” War results from a state of mind and these institu- tions, the League of Nations and World Court, have been teaching people to think in terms of peace rather than in terms of war. As a means of achieving peace, it is necessary to understand the the causes of war in order to be able to prevent their development. The greatest cause of war in modern times, in the last analysis, is compe- tition for economic supremacy which is now finding expression through “three main channels — (1) the securing of new territory and concessions; (2) the maintenance and enlargement of markets ; and ( 3) the investment of capital in for- eign countries.” This desire of all nations to gain the “top of the heap” has caused them, throughout their existence to be prepared for war. Being prepared for modern war, however, means the acquisition of large supplies of machine guns, cannon, airplanes, submarines, and chemical laboratories for research work in new poisonous gases. “Ar- maments are the chief cause of fear between nations. Fear in turn pro- duces larger armaments. This is the vicious circle in which nations have been traveling during the past cen- tury, with armaments piling higher and higher and fear steadily in- creasing.” Disarmament has been proposed but it can never be accom- plished until the jealousy and sus- picion among nations is wiped out through confidence in and co-oper- ation with the efforts of the League of Nations and the World Court. What are the advantages of war that we should cling so steadfastly to such a survival of barbarism ? There appear to be no advantages. An immense toll of human life, an increased burden of taxes for the public and usually after a great war a period of depression like that which we are now experiencing. A certain pacifist declares, “It is war that wastes a nation’s wealth, chokes its industries, kills its flow- ers, narrows its sympathies, and leaves the puny, deformed, and un- manlv to breed the next genera- tion.” In our thoughts on this subject of peace we find ourselves confronted by the question of Christianity and war. Is it Christion to make war on your fellow man ? Man’s first alle- giance is to Cod and mankind. Pa- triotism comes second, to be gov- erned and controlled by the first. Loyd George said of the last war, “Had all the churches cried halt, that dreadful murder could not have gone on.” Can warriors be- lieve with Christ that the meek will inherit the earth ? Do the two com- mandments “Thou shalt not steal” 18

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ing to prevent recourse to war. But the fruits of this conference, per- fected by the Second Peace Confer- ence also held at the Hague in 1907, prepared the way for a true World Court after the great war. But the awakening of the dove of peace was feeble and the power- ful gods of war were averse to these propositions. And in 1914 the great conflagration called the World War broke out. For the four succeeding years, the leading coun- tries of the world passed through a hideous ordeal, a time of slaughter and destruction until finally on Nov- ember 11, 1918 the Armistice was signed. The Armistice was a mere suspension of hostilities and the problem of making a peace treaty and the reconstruction of Europe were still to be faced. With Clem- enceau as president of the confer- ence, which opened formally Jan- uary 18, 1919, various committees were appointed to investigate and report on the important subjects which would require settlement. A committee with Wilson as chairman | was chosen to make plans for a league of nations. This conference produced a treaty of two hundred pages, the longest on record, the Treaty of Versailles. The first part of this treatv consists of laws of or- ganization for the League of Na- tions. The founders, especially Wil- son, realized that there had been no international organization to handle the complications which arose in world affairs and the League of Na- tions was in the future to be that organization. The covenant of the League states its purpose as promot- ing international co-operation and achieving international peace and security. In the fifteen years of the existence of the league, it has done much good in international affairs in Europe and has justly merited its foundations. The next great instrument in the promoting of peace is the Court of International Justice, commonly called the World Court. This or- ganization while closely connected with the League of Nations is inde- pendent of it and though the United States is not a member of the League, it does belong to the World Court. The World Court decides legal questions rather than political questions and among the nations of the World plays much the same part that the Supreme Court plays among the states of the United States. By rendering its decisions without any partiality, the Court has prevented many small disputes among nations from becoming more serious conflicts. The next most important instru- ment for the prevention of war is the Kellogg Peace Pact which was ratified by the United States Senate on January 15, 1929. This treaty provides that the “settlement of all disputes of whatever nature which may arise shall not be sought except by pacific means.” All these organizations, continu- ally growing larger and more pow- erful, despite occasional setbacks, have sought to establish a new era, an era in which international dis- Dutes would be settled by diplomat- ic means rather than bv war. It is easy to see that the efforts in this direction in the last fifteen years have been far more numerous and 17

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and “Thou shalt not not kill” apply only to individuals? From this we see that the churches should play a more active part in the movement for peace, confidence, and friendli- ness among nations. Our fondest hopes rest in the gen- eration of young people who will soon assume the responsibility of governing and of carrying on the • finer traditions. Certain ones from among this group, young people who are having the advantages of a college education and those who have had the opportunity of study- ing the causes and effects of the last war, boldly face this Question of world peace. They realize that if they do not conouer war, war will conquer them. They know that the next war, made more dangerous and horrifying by new inventions will in a much shorter time take a far- greater toll of human life than ever before. They see beyond the glory of fighting for ones’ country to the evils that it brings, death, mutila- tion, hate, hunger, rape, disease, bonded generations, and national I debt. Having studied this question, students are declaring their affilia- tions with world peace movements. In England at Oxford, a meeting was held to debate and vote on the proposition : Resolved : That this house under no circumstance will fight for its king and country. It was carried by a vote of 275-153. To shame and ridicule the pacifists, 275 white feathers were left at the next meeting. But these feathers were distributed among the boys and are now worn as badges of hon- or. Other colleges throughout Eng- land, Wales, and Canada have fol- lowed Oxford’s lead. We even find it in our own staid Boston. Students from two of our Boston colleges have formed organizations which declare they will not fight for their country under any circumstan- ces. Others less radical declare that they will only fight in case of inva- sion. Modern youth desires to live for mankind and the decision as to whether they shall die in more hor- rible warfare than has ever been known or whether they shall live in peace, improving and refining the culture of the world, rests in their hands. Let us hope they choose the path of happiness and peace and that somehow, out of all the chaos and confusion of the present time there will dawn a new and better era — that of world peace. Then and Now By Ervin Langmaid W ITH the coming of 1933, we welcome another World’s Fair which promises to reveal marvels untold. Since we are upon the brink of this new exposition, let us wan- der back to the fair of 1893. On February 25, 1890 Congress had passed a bill awarding the Ex- position to Chicago over the claims of many rivals for the honor and providing liberal financial aid. An ideal site was found in spacious Jackson Park on the shores of Lake Michigan in the southern part of the citv. To this were joined an ad- ditional stretch of beach, giving a water line of fully two miles, and a 19