OCR Text |
Show M lilli 1 A STILL BRUTAL WORLD. B 'i 1 p j I ; The Czar of Russia called into existence the B j illll Hague Congress. The high purpose behind the B J j ; ' j J , f call was to try to make such international adjust- B ffj I ments as would finally eventuate in settling all B r I j ( differences between civilized nations by arbitra- : 'i'1 i tion i t 'Hill But that a good many nations are not anxious Bj ' I jl '( i ; to hasten that day forward is apparent enough. B ' 1 j ,j Jl Germany is hurrying to completion a great B ! I , j 1 navy; France is keeping pace with Germany; 'fifl I i m Great Britain insists that inasmuch as hers is an B I V ' 1 1 ii Island throne, she must at all times keep in Bi'i: h m ful1 commission a tonnage of warships equal to flv , 'I i 9 tnat of any otner two powers, and our own Con- B 1 . iM' gress makes annual appropriations sufficient to Bi ii fl keep a dozen shipyards ringing with the clamors B , I ! ' i of building new ships. This seems to us like B I I j utter foolishness. Why cannot an appeal be made B J ' ' ji I to confine the nations to their present relative B i ,a sea power; to stop building more than ono ship H' j l ' per annum for each nation just enough to keep H V J ' ill ship yards in repair and to work on the problem of BjL' jl ii building more approved ships? BL j r. IB As it is,, when Germany or France or Russia BfL t j) j B builds a warship Great Britain has to build two BJ jtj. I j j 1 and all the other powers one each. Thus the rivalry continues and the difficulty in obtaining crews for the ships, as they are completed, increases in-creases daily. There will have to be a halt called one of these days; why not call it at once? That is why not, if the Christian nations are indeed Christian, and are all looking forward to the time when "the nations shall learn war no more?" |