Forging the Weapons of Peace

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 11, 1909

Forging the Weapons of Peace

Mr. Richmond P. Hobson, who won notoriety in the war between the United States and Spain, is still touring the country “in the general interests of peace.” Curiously enough, however, Mr. Hobson expects to see peace achieved through the instrumentality of powder, weapons, and great military organizations on land and sea. It is not the idea that these are to be used in actual warfare; but that the very possession of these instrumentalities of death will awe into peaceful silence any who might have a mind to pick a quarrel with this nation. It is another way of saying that we will live at peace with our neighbors so long as those neighbors will permit us to have our own way, or so long as we can make a naval and military display of sufficient magnitude to make them see the hopelessness of offering any resistance. A report of his speech given under the auspices of the Y. M. C. A. of New Bedford, Mass., on January 24, appears in the Evening Standard of that city, from which we quote:—

Congressman Hobson made an impassioned appeal for agitation in behalf of a naval fleet for the Pacific, declaring that with all our western coast line and our insular possessions in the Pacific left defenseless, there was imminent peril of a war with Japan. The eventual outcome of such a war, he said, would be a world-war with the white and yellow races pitted against each other, drenching the globe in blood, and postponing for an incalculable period the day of universal peace for which he hoped.

After urging the promotion of arbitration in the world’s quarrels, Congressman Hobson declared that if we would have influence, we must have power, and must prevent the outbreak of wars.

“The only way in which we can have peace,” said Congressman Hobson, “is by being able to control the ocean with war-ships, giving us an influence by which, without firing a gun, we could say to the nations of the world, ‘Peace, be still.’”

At the close of the address a set of resolutions embodying Mr. Hobson’s ideas was presented to the audience for adoption, and was carried almost unanimously. The speaker declared that he had presented the same resolutions with practically the same results to five hundred thirty-six audiences in different parts of the United States since 1905. The people are being led blindly to believe that the preparations for war will bring peace. It is one of the greatest deceptions of the last days, and every encouragement given to it will increase the weight of the world’s sorrow when the deception is finally unveiled.