'MILITARISTS' SUPERSTITIONS'

Evening Star, Issue 14638, 7 August 1911, Page 6

'MILITARISTS' SUPERSTITIONS'

Tho above was the t : tle of the address given by Mr A. M'Carthy «t the Sunday evening meeting of the Socialist partyBeginning with the fallacy of the belief that one country Vvuid gain for itself ary material advantage by the military eonquest of another country, the speaker made bis points qmte. elfiar by pointing out •the delicate hiterdependance. of our modern < rodit-huilt linaiKv and industry. A.nything that/ .seriously disturbs the financial security of any industrial country speedily reaets on all other countries, ami tiie eusristroiiK result* of the destruction of ced'bs in. .say. Loudon, would assuredly icarl, on any invading power. When a f-i.ue or province is annexed by a, conquctintr nat'ou the. inhabitants, who are the real and only owners of all the wealth therein, are also annexed, and the indivkhi.d memlieis of tho conquering race are not one penny the richer for the conquest Another superstition exploded by the b-clorer wag the belief (hat. an enforced indemnity was of iitiv value, to the people of 'he receiving nation. Modern economic conditions nnder tiie. pavmen't of an .indemnity in any form hut goods was impossible, and the receipt df goods ni >-uch a way vcc-.<Ave& itself into an a^me. form of "dumping." about- which pi'.u'ticc tstich an out-cry is often beard in iiidu.str.ial countries. In medieval limes a successful conqintfit certainly meant tangible booty in the thapo of gold and silver and •davco. parcelled out amongst the chiefs of the conquering nation, but such a condition of affairs is no longer possible. The belief dial (he commerce of a nation depends upon jis armaments ajso came in for criticism, and the speaker showed that it wa/s the nation that manufactured the bfW. and chtiapuvi articles that got the trade, who! her it held military or naval power 01 not. The old saying that, "trade folhiws the flag" wy.« nheurd, because, in projioi'tioti to population, Norway lias three limes the skipping trade of liritain. and <oimn!n% like I'.eljium and Switzerland. widiout, a single dreadnought, secure the trade of our nominally-owned colonies. It is a i-igiiimruit. tact that the 3 per cents.

j of a cnuij.ara! ; ve!y ]>o\vri'h:ss eoiu.try likt | are ijuoey,' at f'6. a.nd tin: 5 put I '.vnl.-. _i;t ndlitaiv iiti-many at C2. a,ad : the 7>L ;H'i- iLOti,. -if mi/kty Ili.'t-si.i ace i fni<l-.'d at 01. v.'hihst the ci'j p< r (e:;l-. of : practically arniyh-s Norsvay are ai ]o2 i all of which oecininyly iar'ies \iith il tle-t | ji-ii-uio.v 'lint tii-s- iii--;re a aalio:;'., vc:ii:ii 'is pDiic.-.ted sit" ir o s-'vine i' bn.-.tiii tf. j Another of The .^tii.je t -t d.r 01 \.eji ',i-.>;-, ! tin heliet thai we .-hotiid li" poi. < t : ' ni ciiarl actor, and that iif ,:v.-i,nld la -meaner i,y tile | elimination <if wa". ii. I.i o 13■• -1• a!',;e | i that | man's advance has i.-v.-i Ik-c-ii tie- -arv.val [ of the (jt by s'.i't,;,-;.•!.- and v arf.ir ■. ;o:h j that ivc should l-.-'"iii o:i:,;.e ;■ "f otiio,' j from luxury anl .-ia-er ej.-aoa;.; ■•■ m ■.<>. .'. v.- ! were without th.' ."tern (iwcija.i.-e >.: '■-■:.r. 'l If war and fi S hUn;r at- the :-.:■ ■'.;' a [manly and c.ouragtsojs jrc-.-.'j.ie, tii--n r ::v!v I we f,;i-uJd find the n.e'-t «,;rlil-.j Jiatioas i coot milium tlic world. I itut tile exact «..•;'posit- is u--,:•!-■ 'ao truth. Jn the old world the na:.-t vat !>':>- nation' are Ara.tha, Taik y. ;in lialkan and itnssia. and i-t tii" » v.v World the etiaath Aincri-a:: jh'i.aiai'-e- - j Ai-frentine. Chile. Veno/.itehi. i'-"ii. ' 'ojlornbia, etc. Thcv ai- t„e j whrro we should \>>-)k for all th'.- taiody | virtues thai, make a. grea; ]«-..-;,!..■. .aai >ai anyone t.'.-rionsly cotisiiier UkU lit'■.-'■■ pi:."- ;'■ can he favorably compared vita any military. indiLstrial -oairaunity '' i i'c.-y raircly justify S;.'(-!iccr'.-". <icida> ai-Mi " I ha; advance. U> th- biebest of ruaa ai:d ro.a-ty j <lepen<is oij tdie dwa'ino of miiitao'v and | the growth of industi ialisro." * Am the;- fallacy linfad ::p io th- frreai militai ist siijicrstitisii is the siatemvo; ".nal human nature is always the sao;-. ..\b>.o'pugnacity cortaiit'y is not disappi ;ju;;, r . but midor tbe kircc't of modern mcchanicat and social rlcvi i«>nmciit. is ],civj, ilirc-A'-d into channels that render easier <-,-■■).< ration lieiween nien ir, th,' siviis'le v, ,:h their environment. A brief .-an-vey <■:" th--common incident.-, of Europium i show that a profound chant-c- h:i.-; actually taken place in both the minds aii<l hearts of men. For instance., within a re:a' ivelv : recent iiciricfl all civi!i>-.,d (-.vera-eiits have coinplotoly abandon;,'! the rij,'ht of .interference with tho religiotas h-.h; hs of their citizens, and less (ban ICO year., ; takes us back to a prrdotind h<''■■.; in witJdicraft and the .ipjiroval of sknery. Even to-day aJi Continental otficcrs a-e , firmly convinced that diudluie; i- ai-sointe!y necessary for the mainfen-mce of pcri-.ir.al dignity, wiiils:!. the Aritrlo-.Soxon tieM* tho whole jihilosophv of the duel with derision. ar.d yet tho samo prineipj'o of u.naoldhii,' d.vpiily by combat is held by the a.iiie Anglo-Saxon l-o bo absolutely beeeesary in. the intercourse of nations. Tiho apparent failure of pacifist pro>pagancla ha. c . porhits, been due- to the- fact that tho abs'ibite futility of wa.rfare for any commercial or national g-ain lias not been sufficientJy emphasisod, but tha time in rapidly approaching when tho patriot will fully recognise that there is n«thar material nor moral gain in military conquest and domination. There was a- fair attendance, and a discussion was held at tho conclusion of the address.—Contributed.