HOOVER WHY WAR? And what REDUCE this war business to its lowest terms. Sift it by common sense. is the gist of it? Why, this: Nations go to war for the same reason boys fight-because they are childish, lack self-control, and have not yet grown up enough to know that disputes cannot be settled by brute force. They have not learned law. Or for the same reason gunmen, or savages, or wild westerners fight-because they are used to carrying deadly weapons. Or for the same reason gentlemen used to duel because they are vain, selfish, and sensitive, and have diseased notions of "honor." The war passions are vanity, egotism, love of display, love of violence, and race hatred. Each of these sentiments is low, vicious, unreasoning, and semi-civilized. The war spirit is the combined barbarity of the population. It is a million hates unified into a huge hate conflagration. |