be defended as a dreadful purgative of nations." Even this merit must be denied to war, for its victims are always the young, the valiant, and the fit-the flower of the flock. The opposite extreme of this militarism is pacificism that denies to war any lawful function in human affairs. Militarism masquerades as pure patriotism, whereas it is but nationalism grown rank, while false pacificism more subtly clothes itself in supernatural virtue and claims to be the quintessence of Christianity. In modern times it is connected with the Quakers, the followers of Tolstoy, and the so-called "non-resistant pacifists." The doctrine of uniform unlawfulness of war under any and all circumstances finds no support in reason, for there is no right so fundamental as that of self-defense. It finds no support in tradition, for it is based on a misunderstanding of history and a misinterpretation of the Christian Scriptures and morals. Tolstoy did not believe in Christ's divinity, and there is no good reason why the Exegesis, or scriptural interpretations of George Fox and his followers, should be preferred to the studies and learning of twenty centuries of the Christian church. The Sermon on the Mount contains, indeed, the crystallization of Christ's ethical teaching, and teaches explicitly the love of enemies, pardon for offenses, and submission to injuries. It is equally true that benedictions are to fall on those who embrace this course of conduct. However, it must be noted that these are personal injunctions and have for their goal the rewards of a future life. As before stated, government has no future life to look to, and must secure its own well-being here and now. It cannot lay aside its trust for others, and, as a martyr nation, yield to violence without any attempt to self-defense. We may cordially render our tribute of admiration to sincere pacifists for their staunch adherence to convictions which are unpopular, and for their generous spirit of world-charity, but their doctrines would produce anarchy, in this worldly world, if pursued to their logical consequences. If a commonwealth may not resist an unjust foreign aggressor, it may not resist a domestic assailant, and if it is unlawful to defend others, it is unlawful to defend one's self. And so criminals, collective or individual, would have a free hand, impunity would give rise to more lawlessness, and anarchy would soon destroy civilization. The Catholic church rejects alike extreme militarism and extreme pacificism, and it is fortified by the test of reason and experience, of time and tradition. Pending the establishment of a perfect Utopia on earth, that is, the universal acceptance of God's justice as the rule for all international, as well as national, dealings, there will occur from time to time instances of unjust invasions of genuine rights. Pending the institution of a universally accepted tribunal whose awards shall be backed by the combined moral forces of the civilized world, there is no peaceful way to settle such international disputes as may occur in which each of the contending parties may be so convinced of the justice of its claims that it refuses to give way. In the one case, and in the other, unless we change our education, sublimate our patriotism, and realize our religion, war will tend always to recur. Unfortunately war, or at least the specter of war, is still the grim policeman of an unrepenting world. God does not want war. On the contrary he has set up on earth a means of perpetuating among the changing generations the principles and the ideals of Christianity, the observance of which would render war impossible and even unthinkable. But he permits this terrible scourge, as he permits other consequences of sin, to bring home to his erring children the folly of abandoning his laws. Men have the power denied to brutes of living by reason and law; if they choose to live by passion and instinct, they cannot wonder that they fall into brute conditions. International relations must be lifted into the region of reason and justice, yea, into the regions of religion if war is to cease. What has the Catholic church done to prevent war and what is she doing today? First and foremost is the fact that for nearly twenty centuries she has taught the individual the doctrines of the Prince of Peace, and urged men and women to follow in the selfdenial of his, footsteps. This teaching is the very antithesis of war. As a psychic power it tempers the mind and heart of man and tends to transform him into some likeness of the Master himself, and in doing so, it operates to prevent wars and all their hideous horrors. Following her counsels of perfection, strong men and frail women, through centuries often crude and cruel, have consecrated in the peace of God their lives to their human fellows. When the church was potent with princes as well as with people, she used her influence in many ways. She made the sanctuary a refuge at all times, and for all people, and extended this right of protection even to wayside shrines. Then in the tenth century, by the authority of several French councils, she instituted the wellknown Peace of God, which gave protection to all non-combatants in time of war. This custom soon spread to the whole church, which officially forbade under pain of excommunication all acts of private warfare or violence against ecclesiastical persons and buildings and against women, children, peasants, merchants, and even against cattle and agricultural instruments.1 A similar institution was the Truce of God, which forbade fighting on all the greater feast days and during the seasons of Advent and Lent, and finally from Wednesday evening to Monday morning. By these provisions, scarcely more than a quarter of a year was left for hostilities. Would that we had had such a deterrent during the world-war! Its pauses might have made us think -and repent. These two church institutions were incorporated into the laws of many nations, and to them were added laws which forbade the carrying of offensive weapons and which demanded the arbitration of private feuds. Moreover, during the Middle Ages the Franciscans and Dominicans were the greatest factors in putting an end to feudalism, in fact, they were the pacifists of their day. When the popes were temporal as well as spiritual rulers, they were often the arbitrators of national disputes and impartial history may not deny them the honored name of peace-maker. To mention but a few: Innocent III prevented a score of wars; so did Boniface VIII and Martin V. Alexander VI prevented a war between Spain and Portugal in a controversy over the newly.discovered lands of the fifteenth century. Even the Crusades, while they made war on the Moslem, united the nations at a time of international crisis and prevented 1Encyclopaedia Britannica, XXVII, 321. several European wars. At times the popes failed in their efforts at peace just as the peace proposals of Benedict XV failed, and as the Fourteen Points of Wilson failed. But such efforts always have an influence and are never in vain-one step nearer to the goal of world-peace. In our own day, we have witnessed Leo XIII expounding Christian principles of international charity, and arbitrating between Germany and Spain the dispute over the Caroline Islands; we have witnessed Pius X warning Germany and rebuking Austria, and pleading for peace; yea, dying of a broken heart because his voice was not heard; we have witnessed Benedict XV reminding the belligerents of international law and, in August, 1917, exhorting the nations to end the war and to provide for a stable peace. He pleaded for a general disarmament, for international arbitration, for freedom of commerce, for the restoration of invaded territory, and, if necessary, for the condonation of damages. Germany evasively declined, and the Allies, through President Wilson, sympathetically refused. What sorrows would have been spared the world if these peace proposals which antedated the Fourteen Points of Wilson, had been accepted! The present Pontiff, Pius XI has made peace and charity his shibboleth, and in that spirit has condemned the invasion of the Ruhr and the Italian attack on Greece. He has done his utmost to bind up the wounds of war. The Church, through its rulers, has at times sanctioned war, and even blessed it when it seemed the only way to punish the violation of national rights. If the popes have sponsored a war that was unjustified because they were ignorant of the truth or sinned against the light, they must take the blame. At the worst, such cases were rare exceptions, for the Church regularly ranged herself and her forces for peace and justice and against war. Her Christ-given doctrine of international good will and brotherhood has been in the past her greatest agency, and it remains the only power that ultimately will in a competitive world substitute conference for conflict. PROGRAM OF THE TWENTIETH ANNUAL MEETING President Robert E. Park announces the following preliminary program of the twentieth annual meeting of the American Sociological Society, to be held in the McMillan Theatre, Columbia University, New York, December 28-31. The central topic for the meeting is "The City." 9:00 A.M. Registration MONDAY, DECEMBER 28 10:00-12:00 A.M. Meetings of sections of the Society. Section on Social Research. In charge of C. E. Gehlke, Western Reserve Section on Rural Sociology. "The Teaching of Rural Sociology in the Land Grant Colleges." Report of the Committee on Teaching. B. A. McClenahan. "Extension Work in Rural Sociology." Report of the Committee on Extension. R. A. Felton. "The Basis of Procedure in Rural Social Work." J. F. Steiner. Discussion: Leroy Ramsdell. 12:30 P.M. Luncheon Conferences: Section on Rural Sociology. "Research in Rural Population." Discussion. "Research in Rural Group Organization." Discussion. 3:00-5:00 P.M. Division on Social Psychology. In charge of Emory S. Bogardus, University of Southern California. "Human Nature and Social Psychology." Ellsworth Faris, University of Chicago. "Method of Personality Study in the Urban Environment." W. I. Thomas, New School of Social Research. "The Nature of Social Distance." Emory S. Bogardus. "Simmel's Theory of the Great City." Nicholas J. Spykman, Yale University. 8:00 P.M. Joint session for presidential addresses with the American Statistical Association. Robert E. Park, American Sociological Society; Robert E. Chaddock, American Statistical Association. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29 9:00 A.M. Meetings of committees of the Society. 10:00-12:00 A.M. Joint session with the American Political Science Association. "Regional Planning: with Reference to New York." Charles A. Beard, Training School for Public Service. "The City Plan as a Means of Public Education of the Community." Shelby M. Harrison, Russell Sage Foundation. "The Methods of Studying the Natural Areas of the City." Harvey W. Zorbaugh, Ohio Wesleyan University. 12:30 P.M. Luncheon Conferences. Section on the Teaching of the Social Sciences in the Schools. In charge of Hornell Hart, Bryn Mawr College. Section on the Family. In charge of Mrs. William F. Dummer, Chicago. |