that leave the right impressions and establish the right ideals. The Peace Commission should, of course, report to all branches the results of its findings; it should suggest wise methods of activity for local work. This program is not one that will enact itself, although teachers and publishers may be ready, even glad to do their part. Throughout the country there must be intelligent and persistent watching and pressure. This is a program too that cannot be carried out for the whole country from one central body. Each locality must do its own part, in harmony with the political genius of American democracy. When the millions of children passing through our schools for a generation shall have been suitably educated along these lines, the United States will surely be ready for an effective world-peace program. In closing I quote a paragraph from the stirring address of Dr. John Clifford delivered just after the opening of the war entitled, "The War and the Churches." "The Churches must labour to change the thought and opinion of the people with regard to war. Nearly all our teaching about war is wrong. We begin in a wrong way with our children. Boys are taught to play at soldiering, to admire generals as the greatest heroes, and instead of being made sick with the horrors and savagery of war, they are led to regard the soldier's life as noble and glorious, an altogether desirable career. The history we give them is made up of war stories, whilst the heroes and achievements of commerce and literature, of art and science, of morals and religion, are assigned a secondary place. The Churches have to teach that nations are members one of another, that they are interlocked, and that damage inflicted on one is a hurt to all; that war is murder, premeditated, deliberate, unmitigated murder; that the patriotism of peoples is exploited in the favor of military castes and for private firms; whilst the people themselves have no voice in regulating the costs they have to pay or the terms on which citizens shall kill each other. The Churches should create an educated body of peace messengers, show nations that they should spend money in making apostles and advocates of Christian ideas of war and peace, and not upon the invention of instruments of destruction. Oh! when will the Churches understand their duty and use their opportunity as the representatives of the Prince of Peace?" Fresh visions, peace organization of the churches and peace education of the youth are, however, but preparations for that real and constructive program of Christianity by which alone true world-peace can be established. At present, as militarists assert and all admit, every nation is actuated by selfishness; and selfishness is, moreover, regarded as natural and inevitable. International relations from the beginning of mankind have been so selfish and the conduct of peoples and races has been characterized by such brutality, with suffering incalculable, that nearly every people is suspicious of every other. Jealousy, hatred, fear, and revenge control more or less consciously the attitude of each to all. Permanent world-peace, however, can come only as these feelings are overcome and good-will is established in their place. These animosities, distrusts, indignations, have been evoked by positive deeds. They can be overcome only by positive deeds. The way to conquer evil is to do good. "Overcome evil with good" is a universal principle; it applies to nations as well as to individuals. Our Christian ideals and practices must now be definitely and consciously applied to nations, to international life. The golden rule must be given universal application. Here, therefore, is the platform of the Christian World-Peace Program. Christians must seek to establish the Kingdom of God on a world-wide scale through methods of international righteousness and helpfulness. Nations become friendly only by doing deeds of good-will for each other. Treaties of peace and arbitration are well, but they are not enough. Promises not to declare war until time has elapsed for a commission to investigate and report are thoroughly worth while. They are not, however, adequate substitutes for active good-will and mutual confidence. What the world now needs are international actions that remove now existing suspicions, distrusts, animosities, and prejudices. The following chapters are devoted to concrete suggestions as to how the Golden Rule, the Christian principle of love, may be applied to specific cases. VIII FRIENDLY TREATMENT BY A NATION LARGE AND WR E first consider the case of the relations of a large and powerful country to a small defenseless one whose territory possesses vast natural wealth, which, therefore, might stimulate greed. Between two such countries difficulties easily arise through aggressive acts of irresponsible individuals. Reprisals occur, force or cunning is used, injustice is done. In these ways mutual animosity and suspicions are developed. What is the Christian method of dealing with such a situation? To pass from the abstract to the concrete, let us consider the relations of the United States and Mexico. For a century we have lived side by side. We have not been the best of neighbors; there has been more or less of friction. We have occasionally fought each other. That Mexicans suspect us of aggressive designs and that they regard us as ill-mannered and as cowards and look upon us with scorn and derision are facts that need no elaboration. They feel that we have repeatedly done them wrong; that we have seized their territory, wantonly invaded their cities, interfered with their sovereign rights. Deeds that we regard as magnanimous they consider pusillanimous. They think that we greedily desire to annex the whole country; we have not done it in the past because we could not; intrinsically cowardly, we have not dared to risk a serious conflict with them. Some of us look upon them with disdain. Their history, their ancestry, |