Maine Central Institute - Trumpet Yearbook (Pittsfield, ME)

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The Trumpet MCI 1935 It has been said that figures speak for themselves , therefore, when it is brought to your attention that 25,281,000 soldiers were killed and 20,000,000 were injured for life during the recent World War or twice as many were killed in the recent world conflict as in all wars during the preceding hundred and twenty-five years, you must realize how terrible has been the grasping hand of War. Do you wish to at- tempt to set figures for the death toll of another World War with all the new deadly inventions of warfare? Friends, is this not a time when the United States or any other nation should be looking forward to peace treaties and new terms of neu- trality? Another war will be the test for civilizations, and only the highest devel- oped systems will be able to evade it. There are always drastic results which must follow such an expensive and in- volved enterprise as this game of warg these results are detrimental and retard great- ly the nations which are striving to establish prosperity and sound systems of government. Wars, through all the ages, whether great or small, have been followed by a de- cline in finance and business, which we have termed a depression. Out of the recent VVorld War has come the greatest depression ever known. This one has not been limited to one nation or to a few, but has been world-wide in its attack upon nations large and small alike. Although the depression is the most outstanding fact in our minds as a result of the war, there are many other things to consider and consider carefully. There are not only the physical wrecks whose lives have been destroyed but those who are well in body but whose initiative and will-power have been crushed under the military system where your thinking is done for you. With all the growing unrest in Europe at the present time, with peace treaties and international pledges regarded as but mere valueless scraps of paper, we should not be amazed that the heads of our government at Washington and the people themselves are seriously at work devising plans whereby the United States can evade another world conflict. Germany, under the leadership of Hitler, only recently has denounced the Versailles Treaty by defying the military provisions of the pact. The old Allies, France, Italy, and Great Britain, with the partial support of Russia, are closely united against Germany. Nevertheless, there is material enough to start a blaze in European affairs which if fanned but little could spread over the entire con- tinent. However, this material is dampg it may be years before it will be dried suffi- ciently, but when that day comes, then, and only then, will the United States be able to test her principles of neutrality and peace which she is so carefully prepar- ing at the present time. VVith war clouds constantly rolling across the journalistic sky and with a very initiated source of international trouble between the leading nations of Europe, Americans are becoming more and more interested in the possibility that we may 31

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The Trumpet. MCI 1935 CLASS ORATION AMERICAN EVASION OF A FUTURE WORLD WAR AREFUL analysis will show that the underlying cause of war is the spirit of greed and selfishness. War has made in the past many conquerors but Car- lyle says, Conquerors are a class of men who might well be done away with. I admit that it is interesting to read of the exploits of these conquerors. On the one hand, we have a picture of the victorious warrior entering a cityg we hear the bl are of the trumpets, we see the huge crowds madly waving flags, and we hear the applause of the masses, on the other hand we see the smouldering ashes of homes, we see heart-broken mothers, and fatherless children, and as we look a little closer we see row after row of white crosses. What brought such desolation to thousands of happy homes? The answer is this: A man had a vision of a world empire to be dominated by himself. For example let us turn to the World War. Historians will show that the phys- ical cause of the war was the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Hun- gary, by Siberian sympathizersg but can they deny that this war had not been planned before, and that this incident was the torch that kindled the blaze? The question that now confronts us as a nation is: Are we justified when we declare that it is not our intention to send the best blood of our country to be shed for avarice and greed? We, the people of today, consider ourselves as an intellectual, cultural, and civilized race striving only for the advancement of the coming generations. Why, then, I ask you, should highly advanced nations continue to sacrifice their splendid manhood to war, a game, entered into by early uncivilized tribes? VVar involves enormous expense and debts which must be raised and paid. When we first think of the cost of this inhuman game we think only of the financial debts which are piled up for us to meet in the future. For a few minutes let us consider the cost of this great World War. This war cost the nations involved f337,980,500,000. In 1916 the richest country was the United States which was valued at f220,000,000,000, or in other words if this coun- try and another of equal value had been engulfed in a vast earthquake, without the loss of human life the financial loss would have scarcely equaled that of the war. If this were the only cost that was left in its wake, it would put an altogether differ- ent aspect upon this ungodly game, but there is another cost, one which touches closely the heart and emotions of every true American. It is the enormous num- ber of lives which were sacrificed upon the battlefield fcr the fatherland and the many wrecked lives of young men who were wounded and must face life physical wrecks, with the ghostly remembrances of war haunting them during their lives. 30

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The Trumpet MCI 1935 be able to evade a future world conflict. At the present time the national Congress is seriously considering the several proposals of the Nye Munitions Committee which have made a very thorough and extensive study of the situation. We are constantly having the fact repeated that no nation can go to war, for in order to wage war one must buy, to buy one must have cash and credit on a large scale, and what nation has this today? The same situation existed in 1914, yet the United States managed to finance much of the World War, it was through our involved finances that indirectly we were dragged into war. The United States learned much from this lesson, for she burned her Fingers and now will shun the fire. War is a game through which many huge fortunes have been secured, and the chief class of these is the munitions manufacturers,who have used their profits secretly to advocate war through the press. If they can stir up a war or a world conflict, it will mean wealth and more power for them, but there are plans under consideration at the present time whereby the war profits will be curbed. Under this plan during a war, the cost will be derived from a tax upon war-demanded goods, and this tax will be so great that it will reduce the manufacture of such products to an unprofitable business, thus the danger of becoming involved in a future World War through this source will be eliminated. The United States learned from the World War that she did not have a sound policy of neutrality, this was one of the outstanding reasons why the United States became involved in past conliicts. The time to promote peace and peace measures is in the time of peace. Our country has sensed this fact and now that a crisis is arising in Europe we, as a na- tion, are striving to revolutionize our policy of neutrality. The new policy, although it has not been announced oHicially, will probably be very different in principle and will restrict American trade to a very great extent. These measures, all of which are before Congress at present, are being reported very favorably upon and all are supported in some form by the president. Does not the sun which is just breaking through the war clouds of Congress al- most appear as an omen that America will not be lost in that grim forest of death and desolation, but will End her present steps leading her on the sunlit paths of peace. Friends, is this not a worthy achievement to look forward to and strive for? A time when the United States, your nation, and my nation, shall stand foremost among all nations of the earth as the champion of brotherhood, good will, and peace. 32