Loyola University Maryland - Evergreen / Green and Gray Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

Page 11 text:

THE LOYOLA ANNUAL 3 Am0M9 llji? Naiiana. TT would be useless for me to preface what I have to say with any preliminary remarks upon the meaning or desirability of peace. What peace is is clear to all, and, as to its desirability, so universally is it realized, regardless of any ‘‘party, creed or race affiliations,” that any words of mine would be superfluous. Omitting, therefore, the sentimentality connected v ith this question, I shall consider only its more practical side, namely, the means by which we can secure a permanent international peace. Though we are all one in our desire for peace there are various opinions as to the means most suitable to attain it. They will be advanced and experi- ments will be tried, but it shall be found that the only way to secure a permanent international peace is to remove the causes of war. V ar is the only obstacle in the way of peace, and to abolish war we must remove its causes. Among men, as Hobbes rightly observes, there are three causes of quarrel : Competition, distrust and glory. Competi- tion causes men to invade for profit, to use violence to secure for themselves the possessions of other men. Mutual distrust leads men to defend these from lawful or unlawful aggressors, as the case may be. Lastly, glory incites men to fight for name, to take offense at the least sign, as a word or smile, which tends to undervalue them either directly or indirectly by reflection upon their family, professional or civil ties. These three, according to Hobbes, are the causes of quarrel among men, and the same may be said in a larger scale of nations. What is it that leads nations to war? Is it not com- mercial greed, mutual distrust or chauvinistic ambition? Yes,

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1 THE LOYOLA ANNUAL Go, then, where Saints have trod. Sons of Loyola, Serve and defend your God, Yeomen of Christ. Hark ! the joyous battle-cry. Warns again, the danger nigh ; As it calls to fight and die : And angels of victory sing. Sons of Loyola, And angels of victory sing. And when the strife is done, Sons of Loyola, And all life’s fight is won, Yeomen of Christ. Christ, your leader evermore. Standing on Heaven’s shore. Forgets not the oath you swore : And angels your victory sing, Sons of Loyola, And angels your victory sing. P. T. H.

Page 12 text:

4 THE LOYOLA ANNUAL every war that has ever been waged can be attributed to one of these three causes. It may be that the nations at variance are driven by commercial greed to secure industrial opportu- nity, industrial prominence or industrial outlet. Again, they may be led by mutual distrust to defend them. As the Kaiser says: “They all want their place in the sun.” They distrust one another, they will not be put into the shade. As a result there is a constant warfare ever in progress, if not outwardly, at least silently, in the treasury expenditures for military and naval equipment. Finahy the affected countries may be led to war because of an extravagant national pride which takes of- fense at some trifling affront, an affront which, if calm, cool and deliberative reason prevailed, could be settled by arbitra- tion or, in many cases, passed over in silence. Remove these causes of war and peace will be the inevitable outcome. For many years, or, I should say, for many centuries, since tke} date back to pagan times, treaties have been looked upon as the great means of eradicating these causes of war. Cer- tain it is, not only in the speculative but in the practical order, as we have experienced, that they are most effectively stayed by treaties. The sense of duty, of honor, the fear of those judgments of disapprobation heralded throughout the world by the press, with their consequent detriment to rank upon the nations are indeed powerful sanctions accruing to a broken treaty. Is it not to such sanctions that we are to attribute the amicable settlements under treaties recorded in the history of peace? And, to come down to our own United States, we may cite cases by the score which have been disposed of between us and Great Britain from the conclusion of the Jay treaty of 1874 down to the present time. But, however highly we estimate the ability of treaties in staying our fighting instincts, we must admit that their effi- cacy stops here and that these warlike passions can be con-