PREPARATION FOR CONFLICT.
THE theory that greater facilities for the destruction of human life will deter the nations from going to war may be true to a certain extent. But there is another feature of the subject that men in general do not consider. The construction of great war vessels and fortifications and guns, and the maintenance of immense armies, are becoming very oppressive to the people. They see certain classes of men growing wealthy through these vast expenditures of the governments, and themselves growing proportionately poor, and the spirit of revolution is rankling in their breasts. In all the leading nations, while it may seem that a great military armament averts war abroad, it only creates dissatisfaction at home. As has been the case in the past, governments will be obliged to seek conflict abroad in order to find excuse for the vast expense at home, and thus in a foreign war to seek refuge behind the patriotism of the people, who might be otherwise hard to manage. The men who are making fortunes out of the enormous war preparations will find some way to force a continuation of their speculations; and the use of these vast productions will soon be the only excuse for the outlay. The inordinate use of the people's substance in implements of destruction, and the training of vast armies in the art of war, will surely result in conflict abroad or revolution at home—or both—and that before very long. Preparation for conflict will naturally bring forth conflict.