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THE MAROON TIGER
DISARMAMENT OR WAR?
By H. J. Battle
Every alert citizen of the world is awaiting with
anxiety the Conference on Universal Disarmament to he
held at Geneva in February. Since 1898, there has been
a series of such conferences. However, very little has
been definitely accomplished. Before the Great War.
the Hague Conference sought to maintain peace through
universal disarmament, but Germany prohibited its suc
cess. After the war, the nations involved embodied the
disarmament question in the Treaty of Versailles. By
this Treaty Germany was compelled to reduce her arm
aments with the understanding that a general reduc
tion and limitation of armaments would follow as one
of the most fruitful preventives of war. The only defi
nite step that has been taken in accord with the provi
sion of that Treaty is seen in the London Treaty. The
latter Treaty is in mutual agreement among the LInited
States, England, and Japan to limit their naval forces.
T’he League of Nations, probably because of its desire
to execute the provision of the Treaty of Versailles, has
planned a conference to be held at Geneva in February,
1932, in which universal disarmament will be considered.
What the results of this conference will be, no one
knows. To me, it seems that the only sensible thing
for the nations of the world to do is to make drastic
reduction in armaments. The greatest handicap to such
action seems to be the fear of individual nations that
they will lose their national security by disarmament.
Many seem to think that lasting peace is to be had by
national defense. Even in our country, many still cling
to Washington’s belief that preparation for defense is
one of the best guarantees of peace. France and other
nations have a similar belief. On the other hand, it
seems to me, that no nation can maintain peace by con
tinually increasing its armaments. When one nation in
creases its defense the other nation, in order to maintain
security, must increase hers also. The only security
that national defense can offer is necessarily based on
fear. The nation which has the greatest security is the
one that has the greatest army and of which other na
tions are most afraid. Then to offset this fear and to
gain for themselves more security, the other nations in
crease their armies. Thus, there is a vicious circle—
armies, fear, suspicion; more armies, more fears, and more
suspicion. Each time the circle revolves more arma
ments, more fear, and more suspicion accumulate. If
one nation gets too far ahead of another nation alliances
are formed against it. The process continues until war
becomes inevitable. Furthermore, during this process
an increasing amount of the wealth of the world is be
ing converted into armaments, which have utility only
in war. This adds to the condition, the factor of social
unrest, which is only another stimulus to encourage the
war spirit.
It, therefore, seems to me that the question of
whether or not the nations of the world want to dis
arm is synonymous to that of whether or not they want
poverty and war. Let us hope that the conference will
take the sensible course in February.
Military training in American Land Grant Colleges and
Universities should be continued as a defense against
the open antagonism of radicalism to democratic govern
ment, in the opinion of Dr. Raymond G. Bressler who has
recently assumed his duties as president of the Rhode
Island State College at Kingston.—N. S. F. A.
SAMPLE BALLOT
Date .
I. If all nations join in similar reductions in mili
tary and naval establishments intended for use
against each other, how much disarmament
would you favor? (Check the approximate fig
ure desired)
None 25%-— 50%__„ 75%.- 100% —
II. Do you favor the American delegation to the
General Disarmament Conference taking the in
itiative in calling upon all nations to join us in
reducing armaments?
None 25%... .. 50%.. . 75%-. 100%-.
III. Do you favor our setting an example for other
nations by reducting our expenditure upon arm
aments?
None 25%-- 50%... 75% — 100% —
IV. Do you favor American adherence to the World
Court upon the basis of the Root Protocols?
Yes No
V.
Do you favor
colleges?
compulsory military training in
\ es
No
VI.
Do you favor
dropping military training en-
tirely from the
college curriculum?
Yes
No
VII. Have you had military training?
How long?.. Where?.
(Mr., Mrs., Miss) (Class)
Department or School
Institution
THE SUPREME PRAYER OF MY HEART
(From A Scrap Book)
“The supreme prayer of my heart is not to lie learned,
rich, famous, powerful or even good, but simply to be
radiant. I desire to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm
courage and good-will.
“I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy,
fear. I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean
in mind and clean in body, unaffected—to say ‘I do not
know’, if it be so, and to meet all men on an absolute
equality, to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty
unabashed and unafraid.
“I wish others to live their lives, too, up to their high
est, fullest, and best. To that end I pray that I may
never meddle, interfere, dictate, give advice that is not
wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. If
I can help people, I II do it by giving them a chance
to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it
be by example, inference, and suggestion, rather than by
injunction and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be
radiant, to Radiate Life."’ Theodore R. Gay, ’32.
Howard Thurman, ’23, Religious Adviser for More
house and Spelman, has been invited by a joint com
mittee representing the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A.
of California to speak at several student conferences and
important churches during the latter part of December
and the first part of January. Mr. Thurman will also
speak in the following schools: University of Redlands.
University of California at Los Angeles, University of
Southern California, Whittier College, Stanford Univer
sity, San Jose State College, University of California,
Colelge of the Pacific, Occidental College, Pomona Col
lege, University of Arizona and the Pasedena Junior
College.