Provocations for War

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 8, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 39.

Provocations for War

LAST week we noted some of the scriptures which speak of the war spirit that will arise in the last days, and also other scriptures which speak of the sentiments that will prevail in favor of peace. We further noted the fact that these scriptures taken together call for very strongly contradictory conditions.

One set of these texts say that the world will be filled with the spirit of war. Another class of these texts say that the great mass of the people will be making a strong demand for universal peace. In other words, great popular demonstrations for peace will be mingled with an equally popular clamor for war.

Human beings would not make such prophecies as these, because they would seem too contradictory; but the Author of the Bible has made just such prophecies, because His infinite foreknowledge enables Him to predict the actual facts rather than what people might think would occur.

The reading public is familiar with the multiplicity of organizations, state, national, and international, that have denominated themselves "peace societies." One of these international organizations, at which practically the whole world was represented, has just concluded a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. They are seeking to educate the world away from war. They claim that they are doing it, and enthusiastically state that they will meet with complete success.

But there can be no question but that the prophecies predict the great Armageddon, the worst war of all the ages, and it is to occur at the very close of time. They also tell of what the people will be saying in favor of peace, and we see these conditions in marked contrast in the world at the present time. Tremendously influential peace organizations are forming, and yet there never was a time when there was such a disposition working in the direction of universal war.

Wreckage and distortion at the back of an 11½-inch armor-plate, made by a bursting shell that has passed through it

In thinking of this subject, consider this text from 2 Timothy: "But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money." 2 Tim. 3: 1, 2.

Self-love and money-love, says this text, will make the last days perilous. Money-love indicates a great commercial spirit that will be working. Men will be possessed with an uncontrollable passion for commerce and money-making. This is the very thing that the apostle, writing under divine inspiration, predicted. And what do we see in the world at the present time? Commerce is the great mania, not merely of individuals, but of nations. In order to protect their merchant princes, the great progressive commercial nations are eager to gain and hold every advantage that looks toward the building up of trade. Germany is determined on colonization in order to build up her commerce. France, Russia, and even Japan are working in the same direction; and it is not necessary to mention the United States as one of the stalwart, progressive commercial powers. This country is building the Panama Canal to aid commerce — a very desirable and a very commendable undertaking. But other nations are jealous for fear we will get some peculiar advantage out of this. They are watching every move that this country makes in the direction of either Mexico or South America, fearing that she may thereby gain some great business advantage. There can be very little question but that this country would have intervened in Mexican affairs long ago, had she not feared that in so doing she would involve herself with other powers who are anxiously watching, not for the peace of the world, but to hold the business of the world.

The news of the day indicates that there can be very little question but that England and Russia have reached an agreement in regard to Persia, that practically leaves Persia in the hands of the "great northern bear." Russia wants Persia in order that she may gain the commercial and military advantages that are there; and England is willing to make this alliance in order to hold the friendship of Russia, so that she may be able to meet Germany, with whom she is constantly in dread of coming in conflict.

The Turkish territory all through Western Asia and Europe is a seething caldron of revolutionary and war sentiment, with war actually in progress in some places. The nations are watching the movements there, and each one is standing ready to step in to see that its commercial advantages are secure, in the event of dividing up the territory among the powers. The six nations that are a party to the negotiation for the six-power loan in China, are seeking to hold themselves together, so that they may unitedly reap the commercial advantages that may be gathered there.

And while all this material that furnishes causes for war may be seen throughout the world, there is progressing right along a fiendish development in the implements of destruction that are to be used upon the battle-field. Fleets that sail the seas, fleets that navigate under the waters, fleets that sail in the air, are built by all the great powers with feverish activity. Ponderous guns are constructed, great armies are organized. Very much more is spent by the nations in preparations for war than is spent for the advancement of husbandry. These preparations for war will go on more

and more madly until the time is finally reached when the infinite Jehovah will permit the clash of Armageddon to come. For let it be understood that one of the sublimest prophecies in all the Bible represents the angels of God as holding these winds of strife until His work in the earth is finished.

Military maneuvers of the German army, with air-ships on scout duty

These are times when men should carefully think for themselves, because the momentous issues of eternity are even now confronting the world. T.

— ★★ —

The Nine Richest Men.—A despatch from Boston gives the nine richest men in America, with the estimated fortune of each, as follows: John D. Rockefeller $1,000,000,000 Andrew Carnegie 500,000,000 J. P. Morgan 300,000,000 William Rockefeller 250,000,000 George F. Baer 250,000,000 James B. Duke 200,000,000 James Stillman 200,000,000 Henry C. Frick 150,000,000 W. K. Vanderbilt 150,000,000

While the foregoing figures give Mr. Morgan a fortune of only about $300,000,000, yet they do not take into account the billions of money over which he has control through his bankers' association. There is not much question but that we have at least one billionaire, and the millionaires who are getting well along toward the half billion mark are coming to be quite numerous. This little group of men is a controlling power in the financial world. The problems that cluster around these mighty holdings of wealth form one of the greatest menaces to the world that has ever confronted it.

Drugs and Crime.—The prison riots in Michigan, according to the Springfield Republican, have brought to light the fact that drugs have been extensively smuggled in to the prisoners, and prison guards in many state prisons secretly make a handsome revenue from this practise. This would indicate that many of the criminals are drug fiends, and the drug fiend is an individual who is taking a post-graduate course from the school of alcoholism.

When one considers how the drug habit and the alcohol habit are increasing, and places side by side with these facts the increase of crime, he ought to be able to know the history of the future quite well. Habits that are strongly formed in individuals are very rarely broken. Only the few, as a general rule, who actually get hold of the power of God, are able to break away from the chains of habit that bind men to drugs and alcohol. And following drugs and alcohol is crime; and criminality itself becomes a habit. In looking out upon the future of this world, it is well to look the actual facts of alcoholism, the use of drugs, and criminality, squarely in the face. These are problems that will have to be dealt with, and they show us plainly the direction in which the world is going.

But we do not need to go in that way. The Lord has provided salvation in this life from all of these things, for every individual who will accept Him; and the prophecies clearly show that His coming will be in a very near day, and at that time He will deliver His people, not only from the habits, but from the world in which such habits prevail. This is the one hope that is before the world at the present time. It is a hope that is filled with joy and gladness to the one who possesses it; and men who are not so intoxicated by some fad or theory or pursuit that they are unable to weigh facts, will sooner or later see and accept this great truth. It is written large in God's Word, and it is written all over the pages of the doings of the world of to-day.

A hole made through an 18-inch Krupp armor-plate and its timber backing, by a shell from a 12-inch gun

Race-Track Gambling in California.—Those interested in gambling are making a subtle effort to have a law passed in California, through the initiative, that will again open the gates wide for gambling in this state. The anti-gambling law passed by the legislature has practically closed some of the most popular race-tracks in the state, because with the gambling feature eliminated, the races can not be made popular and profitable; but now it is proposed to enact a law, through the initiative, that will permit certain forms of gambling. And if gambling in certain forms is permitted, it will open the doors wide for everything that goes with it. Those who are working for this measure in the interests of gambling, are seeking to do what is to them a very wise thing. The title under which the bill goes on the ballot, declares the measure to be an act to prohibit pool-selling and book-making. On the face of it, it would appear that this is in reality a law against gambling, but the proposed bill itself permits the race-track gambling to be revived in this state. It is highly important that the people of California be sure, when they cast their ballot in November, that they are not voting in favor of a gambling law, while thinking that they are voting to the contrary. Incidentally this proposed law in favor of gambling shows that the initiative can be worked in both directions, and by all classes of people. It can not be said to be an unmitigated good. But however that may be, the good people of California want to keep their eyes open, and use their best endeavors to see that a law is not passed in this state which will permit all of the debancheries that go with the gambling at the race-track.

A despatch from New York City under date of September 23 states that there is to be another rise of three cents a pound in the price of beef. There is better food for the human race than beef, or any other kind of meat. Thousands of men have lived without meat, and demonstrated that in so doing they were not only free from many of the ills of meat eaters, but were in every way stronger and better. If the price of meat could continue to rise, until more people would learn this great lesson, it would be one of the greatest benefits that could come to the human race.

Dr. Paul Walden, of Riga, Russia, president-elect of the ninth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, while with 150 other world famous chemists at Chicago, predicted that "not only eggs, but a variety of nitrogenous foods, will be made from the air some day." The scientific achievements that are possible would be one of the grandest things of the age, were it not for the fact that so many of the foremost men of the world are making a god of science, and this is blinding them to the real substantial benefits that otherwise might accrue. However, we think that so long as the hen continues to produce eggs, scientific men might better find a more useful field for their operations.

J. P. Morgan & Company have just purchased the property at 29-33 Wall Street, New York. They had previously purchased a lot adjoining. The two purchases have a total of 16,000 square feet at the corner of Wall and Broad streets. The assessed valuation is $4,320,000. The assessed valuation, of course, would not be nearly so great as the actual value of the property. This shows something of the value of land in that great financial center. The Morgan company is going to erect office buildings on the corner, for its exclusive use.

In conducting her grand army drill maneuvers during the month of September, England chose for her plan to have one section of her military force come as an invading army from the direction of Germany, and another section was to repel the attack. It is quite unaccountable how both Germany and England should continue to act as they do toward each other. They are continually discussing the dangers of a clash between the two nations, and conditions seem to grow no better as the days go by.

On September 23 the police reserves of New York City were called out to quell a riot of 1,500 public school boys who were protesting against certain transfers of their principals. The pupils of two schools were involved, and for a short time they smashed windows, routed the janitors with showers of vegetables, and terrorized the neighborhood. The youngsters paraded the streets in real adult fashion, to prevent the children who did not join them from entering the school buildings.

The hotel men in some of the Eastern cities find that they have a problem on their hands in the way of furnishing increased accommodations for the rapidly growing number of women who are addicted to the cigaret habit. The women as well as the men now desire their after-dinner smoke, and must have a place provided for it.

The Panama Commission sends out a despatch from Washington that it expects to open the Panama Canal on October 15, 1913. That is the date fixed when the first vessel will pass through the new waterway; and by December 1, 1914, the canal will be ready for unrestricted use by commercial vessels.

Every country of the world except Italy was represented in the ninth meeting of the International Peace Congress, which was convened in Geneva, Switzerland, September 23.

The new empress of Japan, photographed in the court robes she will wear when she and her husband ascend the Japanese throne

Photo by Paul Thompson, New York
General Bramwell Booth, who succeeds his father, the late William Booth, as head of the Salvation Army — Photo by Paul Thompson, New York General Bramwell Booth, who succeeds his father, the late William Booth, as head of the Salvation Army