And we have a right to insist that the bravery of the battle-line is not the highest bravery, and that the deliverance wrought by bayonet and shrapnel is not the most necessary to the welfare of humanity. The courage which is unmoved by the roar of great guns and undaunted by the gleam of advancing bayonets is good, but it is no better than the courage of the timid woman who faces death upon the operating-table without shrinking or complaint; and it is in nothing superior to the courage which, in the daily life of our people, takes up patiently the burden of the day, and in the face of poverty, sorrow, and pain, and bearing also the contempt of many, goes forward without bitterness and even with cheerfulness to the end of the journey, faithful unto death.
THE DAWN OF UNIVERSAL PEACE
Finally, as the spirit of democracy rises and the spirit of war declines, the vision of universal peace begins to crystallize. While to many it may seem that this must always remain a vision, the real seers of the world do not doubt that, when the awful conflict in Europe is ended, the warring nations, viewing their dead and their devastated countries, will welcome a plan which promises an end of such disasters. The practicability and feasibility of the idea of an international tribunal is shown by the successful operation of the American Constitutional Courts of Arbitration, which have settled controversies between the states, and by the so-called general arbitration treaties to submit justiciable disputes to arbitration. And if an international arbitration court is feasible, an international police, to give force to the decrees of the tribunal, is also feasible. We have only to come to believe this and the plan itself can be formulated. All great achievement in the world has been a matter of great faith.
The hope of humanitarianism and civilization rests on the very enormity of the present calamity. The horrors and atrocities of the war are so great, its waste and devastation so enormous, its scars so deep, that no one who is touched by it can want war again. The disaster is so overwhelming that peace when it comes must be lasting.
[1] The 32 pages of illustrations contained in this book are not included in the paging. Adding these 32 pages to the 320 pages of the text makes a total of 352 pages.
Transcriber’s Notes
Inconsistent and unusual spelling and hyphenation have been retained, except as listed below.
p. 139, Todeshusaren (Death’s-Head Hussars): either the English translation should be Death’s Hussars, or the German name should be Totenkopfhusaren.
p. 148, Haybes (Belgium): Haybes is in France (albeit close to the border with Belgium).