In a way, however, the rapidly growing cost of war and preparation
for war is to be welcomed. For it is this that is creating, more than
all our moral propaganda, a rising sentiment against war, and will
presently make it impossible. When the German militarists became
excited over the Morocco incident in 1911, a financial panic ensued,
credit was withdrawn, pockets were touched, and a great protest arose
which did much to quench the jingo spirit. Japan was induced to sign
her treaty of peace with Russia because her money was giving out.
Turkey was unable, in the winter of 1913-14, to renew war with Greece
for the Aegean Islands, because she could not raise a loan till she
promised peace. The growing international financial network, and the
revolt of the taxpayers against the incessant draining of their
pocketbooks, promise a change for the better in European militarism
before very long.
What can we do to hasten world-peace?
There are powerful forces, which without our conscious effort are
making for the abolition of war: its growing cost; the extension of
mutual knowledge, through the newspapers and magazines, through travel,
through exchange professorships and Rhodes scholarships and all
international associations; the growing sensitiveness to suffering;
the spread of eugenic ideals; and the increasing interest in worldwide
social, moral, and material problems. But the epoch of final peace
for man can be greatly accelerated by means which we may now note.
Pages:
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394