CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS NUMBER The Bishop of Vermont needs no introduction. The Rev. Edwin A. White, D.C.L., D.D., of the diocese of Newark, is Chairman of the Committee on Canons in General Convention, and one of the foremost canonists in the Church. The Rev. Laird Wingate Snell is rector of St. Peter's Church, Helena, Montana. The Rev. William Miller Gamble is rector of St. Paul's Church, Manheim, Pa. The Rev. Frederick Sherman Arnold lives in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and was formerly assistant to the rector of Christ Church, the Rev. Dr. Cummings. The Rev. William Philip Downes is rector of Trinity Church, Bristol, Conn. Miss Emily B. Gnagey is a churchwoman of Philadelphia, and has several times contributed to the MONTHLY. THE OCTOBER NUMBER WILL CONTAIN "The Next Step for Anglo-Catholics," by the Rev. Francis Underhill, of Birmingham, England. Monthly A Magazine of comment, criticism and review dealing with questions confronting the Anglican Communion and more especially the Church in the United States TEMPLE PUBLISHING CORPORATION 1-3 Peace St., New Brunswick, N. J. President: GEORGE A. ARMOUR, Princeton, N. J. Secretary: THE REV. CHARLES C. EDMUNDS, D.D., 6 Chelsea Square, New York NATURALLY we all hope and pray that the Conference which President Harding has called to meet in Washington may result in a self-imposed limitation of armaments by all the nations. The cost of maintaining such armies and navies as they now have is stupendous enough to bankrupt all the leading powers in a short time. Yet it would be foolish to expect that a mere reduction in the size of armies and navies will prevent war from recurring in the future. It may indeed render war less destructive, but even that is doubtful. Human skill and inventiveness may be counted upon to develop other means of destroying life, such as poisonous gas and powerful explosives, which will make the wars of the future increasingly horrible. If the distinguished statesmen who are to represent the several powers in the forthcoming Conference are really in earnest in their attempt to do away with war, let them seriously apply themselves to the task of nullifying some of the causes of war. Huge armaments do not cause war. That would be putting the cart before the horse. Wars are the causes of armaments. What then are the causes of war? Some wars have been caused by religious controversy. There have also been wars for national independence, and wars to prevent independence or to preserve the union. Most wars however may be traced to economic causes. Even religious wars and wars for independence are never wholly free from economic motives. The chief economic causes are the competition for markets and the coveting of territory. This was notably true of the Great War. It was caused by Germany's overweening ambition for commercial domination. If we are to remove the economic causes of war, we must direct our attention to the men who are in economic control in each nation. They must be curbed at all costs, and their dangerous lusts prevented from enkindling another war. This could be accomplished by a simple device. The coming Conference might be asked to agree upon an international law to the effect that in the event of war the first draft in every nation should include all the millionaires, all owners of newspapers, and all members of Congress or whatever the legislative body in each nation may be called. If the ten leading powers would agree to such a law and would enforce it, there would be no more war. It is all very easy for influential men of affairs to grow red in the face with patriotic rage as they sip their high |