four llights AN ADVENTURE IN INTERNATIONALISM

44T.hen he showed four lights when he wished them to set full sail and follow in his wake.''

From ,. Fint Veyqe 'Roaad the Worltllty MareUu."

JUNE 30, 1917 FOURTH OF JU Y u E VoL. I No. 12

WE hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that

among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People. to alter or t9 abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ·

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

WARMTH AND CANDOR. Those trusting people who thought this was going

to be a well-bred war, with no rude vielation of any­body's equanimity or the suppression of anybody's free criticism, are finding themselves a little disturbed, in spite of the continued admirableness of the officials of the Administration and their assurances of our high moral lift. Their friends have been a little aggrieved because the Administration has not been treated with the warmth and candor which it desires and deserves. • Try warmth and candor upon the policies of the

Administration and see how you are greeted in the public press and by the patriots in whose keeping is now the soul of America! Ask' yourself how warmth and candor in the interests of ending the war are likely to be received by a Government that officially con­siders all discussion of a possible peace as dangerous, as well as all discussion of disagreements between the Allies. Even the warmth and candor of the terrible­tempered Mr. Creel-terrible-tempered, at least, when he was slaying the Rockerfeller tyrants, however meek he may be now-has riot removed the sting and the smart of that kind of a censorship.- The Administration likes warmth and candor when it supports the right­eous war; it is going out on the Chautauqua circuit in July to generate the warmth an4 candor that seems unaccountably to be lacking throughout the plain peo­ple of the country. The farmers of Iowa, not having shown sufficient response to the President's Flag Day invitation to go over to Europe and die in order that German so~diers may not garrison a Turkish town but in order that Italy may garrison a Dalmatian town, must now be stirred by the eloquenee of Mr. Creel's press-agents and convinced that Lord Curzon and M. Ribot have no other purpose in life than to make the wprld safe for democracy. If Mr. Creel waits long

enough, and the people don't get hungry, they may become. convinced of these profound international truths. A democracy, if enough money is spent in propaganda, can usually become convinced of anything which its ruling class wants it to believe.

The Administration is reported to have enlisted the invaluable services of that educational institution known as the National Security League. The popu­larity of the corporation lawyers and tory agitators who direct this body ought to· make its influence de­cisive among the farmers and the workers o·f the land. The League knows just what it wants, even though the Administration doesn't. The League wants arma.:. ments, even though the Administration doesn't know whether it itself wants peace without victory or war . to the death. The activity of the League, combined _ with a policy of stigmatizing every one who desires peace as an ally of the Kaiser, ought to make us all unanimous for war. The Administration will work more comfortably in the atmosphere of warmth and candor which the National Security League will throw around us. Those wqo haye smarted under Mr. Creel or under the prosecutions of the United States agen­cies for suppressing "disloyalty" will come to under­stand that the theory of a democratic and well-bred war depends on a unanimity of sentiment, on a willing­ness to volunteer to do everything which you will be jailed or ostracized for not doing. If you get into trouble with the Government it will be because you were not well-bred enough to agree with it. It will be because your warmth and candor was of the kind that tended to make the world unsafe for democracy. You will then submit to punishment as a reproof for your bad manners, for your coldness towards ah Ad­ministration that is carrying out your popular will.

RANDOLPH BOURNE.

On Safe and Sane Fourths. Will you ever forget that "grand and glorious feel­

ing" of celebrating the eirth of liberty with giant fire­crackers, toy pistols and baby cannon? In those good old days, some twenty years ago, the little boy next door died of tetanus, brother Tommy put out his left eye, the whole town burned down, you scorched your knees and snipped off your thumb-but, say, wasn't it exciting to see how near you could get to the fire­crackers, wasn't it swell to hear all the noise?

Then, do you remember the terrible draught of fun and fireworks that blasted the glory and the gory out of Fourth of July. Somebody, somewhere, decided it was dangerous, as well as foolish, to blow a whole day to pieces with gunpowder. All the hardware shops in town stopped selling caps and pistols, big booming crackers and strings of tiny crackling crackers. In­stead, they stocked up with fancy horns, torpedoes, and boxes of sparkling sparklers. You had to content yourself with popping a few torpedoes on the front walk and sitting on the piazza in the evening to watch community fireworks set off from the highest hill in town by a man in rubber gloves.

Indeed, the powers that be, finally decided that the holiday could be made not merely antiseptic, but more quiet and unhysterical. So the "horribles" that gath­ered in the Main street with cow-bells at 6 A. M., and the shrieking of whistles at midnight were replaced by civic parades, band concerts and speeches by the select men. Wasn't it a bore! If it hadn't been for salmon and peas and ice-cream and father mowing the lawn, it would have been like every Sunday in the year.

For many long and arid years the world has been a dull and perfectly safe place on the Fourth of July. But if you have a heart, you must admit disarmament has had effect. Casualties have been reduced from 5,091 in xgog to Bso in 1916. Not a single case of lock­jaw last year proved the spirit of '76 alive. Whereas 215 boys and girls met an untimely death in 1909, but 30 commemorated the Fourth too violently in 1916.

Console yourself with the thought that thousands of young Americans have been saved from injuring themselves by the careless use of firecrackers to slay and be slain by the proper use of firearms in trenches on foreign soil. Think how little Willie has been spared from going up in smoke in the cause of inde­pendence to be drafted to die, if necessary, "for the liberation of peoples everywhere from the aggressions of autocratic force."

Moreover there is a ray of hope for the children in 1917, even though the Fourth of July peace move­ment has gained a stubborn foothold. To be sure, fire­crackers are still taboo ; pistols and cannon are the sole property of men in khaki ; torpedoes are made in Germany. Hilarity, danger and dare-deviltry are as suppressed as ever. But if you've been foresighted and patriotic you will have taken care to buy the little folks their bit of gunpowder.

"One thousand and seven bullets for $so," the Liberty loan posters advertised.

And $2 in the baby's bank is enough to start the purchase.

MARY CHAMBERL AIN.

P-.ying for Liberty. Liberty Bond button-wearers may well boast of

their unselfishness. But do all who have given their mites realize the full measure of their generosity? Salesmen, posters and newspapers emphasized the patriotism of giving and the soundness of the invest­ment. but nobody seemed to worry about the source of the interest rate. Nobody called attention to the uniqueness of an investment where bondholders pay not only for securitie.s themselves but, through taxa­tion, for the government's privilege of borrowing.

It is too late to warn "baby-bond" holders that 3~ per cent interest means for them as well as for others a higher price on bread and butter. But when the next loans offer 4, s. or 6 per cent. interest, think it over.

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Drill for the Oratorial Plattsburg. The National Security League is ad­

vertising for $soo.oo to establish a Training Camp from which speakers may go out prepared to explain fully to the people of the United States why we are at war, what the penalty of de­feat would be, what victory means to mankind, and how the war must be fought.

"The most important thing that can be done by patriotic Americans," ac­cording to officers of the League, "is to give this knowledge to the people."

As patriotic Americans, we applaud this most excellent plan and promise to do our bit toward the valuable cam­paign of education. Therefore, we sub­mit a few reasons that have been sug­gested to us of why America is at war and an example or two of how officials intend to carry on campaigns.

Some Whys. "Strength in Central Leather com­

mon is primarily based upon the extra­ordinary earnings which the corpora­tion is realizing. The heavy require­ments for belts, harness and the thou­sand and one equipment purposes for which leather is used will run into tre­mendous figures . And in supplying sole leather for these purposes, Central Leather is certain to play a very im­portant role."

( Wall Street Jourttal, June II, 1917.)

" Charles M. Schwab, speaking before the annual meeting of the

World's Congress of Salesmanship, at Detroit, sa,id in part : "The United States produced x,ooo,ooo tons of steel in r88o, in xgx6 some 4o,ooo,ooo tons were produced. 'the 1917 production will probably be 4s,ooo,ooo tons .... Bethlehem Steel is today putting $2o,­ooo,ooo into plant:) entirely for use of the Government In peace time such plants have no value, but . there _are times when more than a busmess view is necessary."

( W all Streefo )ou.rnal, June rzth.)

r• As one of the /emarkable economic advantages whil the United States will gain on acco nt of the European war, there is t 1e decision of the William-Harvey · orporation to erect one of the greate~ tin-smelters in the world at Jamaica ~ay."

(Wall S treet 1our1UJI, June zoth.)

Som~ Hows. ''War Departm. t officials recognize,

however, that at esent there is a lack of enthusiasm runong some of the young men of the country who may be drafted. The indicated claims for ex­emption bear out this impression, but it is the opinion t~f the President and the Secretary of War that by the time the men conscripttd are called to those colors, a better attitude toward service will have been instilled in the minds of the drafted troops,"

(EvetU.ng Post, June 13th.)

" Secretary McAdoo assails The Tribune violently because it recently ventured to criticise his handling of the Liberty Loan. . . . . Mr. McAdoo's statement throws a flashlight on the stubborn and desperate fight with At­torney General Gregory, seconded by Mr. Lansing and Mr. Daniels, made for a press censorship law. They are impatient to muzzle any and every ex­pression of opinion which may annoy them, and in their extreme desire for personal protection they are eager to set up in this country a press dictator­ship after the most approved Hohen­zollern and Romanoff models."

(N. Y. Tr·ibune, Junezznd.)

"The strike of the miners in the Butte district is becoming worse ....

' The suggestion was heard that if con­ditions become any more disturbing and production is seriously interfered with, the government might step in and call the workmen to the colors. They might then be assigned to work the mines under government supervision, and if they refused might be con­scripted as soldiers."

(N . Y. Globe, June 21st.)

T hese are only side lights. But if the National Security League would like data along such lines collected we stand ready to offer our services. We must all help to explain this war.

JESSIE ASHL£ Y.

On Americanization Day. The emasculation of the Fourth of July has gone

band in hand with another movement. Propagandists have learned that they must prepare a substitute for coffee, prostitution, beer, non-resistance or any other habit or institution they wish to demolish. William James even tried to offer a "moral equivalent for war."

Accordingly, those who robbed the Fourth of its danger and its merry-making conceived the wonderful scheme of refurbishing it with flag-raisings and speech fests as Americanization Day. From the first, mayors, public officials and prominent citizens responded warm­ly to the suggestion. Everybody agreed that no more proper time could be found on which to welcome the newly-naturalized to citizenship, to invite the unnatu­ralized to take out "papers,'' and to give both a true conception of the meaning of At,nerican ideals and institutions.

All signs point to more enthusiasm than ever for Americanization Day, ex-Fourth of July, 1917. The enormous number of Germans and Austrians recently admitted to citizenship has, undoubtedly, given im­petus to the campaign. Again, it is stated, aliens will be exempt from draft so that a rush to citizenship of young men eager to share those benefits of real de­mocracy and training. which compulsory service makes possible mQst be anticipated. Finally no such oppor­tunity has ever existed for orators to prophesy that­"out of the melting-pot of America, heated by the flames of this holy war, will emerge a race of super­men whose heritage is the ancient civilizations of the world (except Teutonic), whose spirit is the vigorous daring spirit of a young hemisphere, whose ideal is to spread the light of freedom and democracy to all man­kind-a.d infinitwm."

Nor does FOUR LIGHTS desire to be wayward or backward in promoting Americanization. But though we welcome all strangers who come to our shores, we are ignorant of the problems and perplexities of the alien. Therefore we have borrowed for our Ameri­canization Day address, the words of a leader whose sympathy and understanding for immigrant groups have made her their beloved confidante.

"We had hoped much from the varied population of the United States/~ said Jane Addams in an address before the Chicago City Club shortly after war was declared. "For whether we will or not, our very com­position would make it easier for us than for any other nation to establish an international organization founded upon understar1ding and good-will, did we but possess the requisite courage and intelligence to util­ize it.

'1There are in this country thousands of emigrants

from the Central Powers, to whom a war between the United States and the Fatherland means exquisite torture. They are a source of great strength in an international venture, as they are undoubtedly a source of weakness in a purely nationalistic position of the old-fashioned sort. These ties of blood, binding us to all the nations of the earth, afford a unique equipment for a great international task if the United States could but push forward it\tO the shifting area of internationalism.

"Modem warfare is an intimately social and do­mestic affair. There are thousands of our fellow citizens who cannot tear their minds away from Po­land, Galicia, Syria, Annenia, Serbia, Roumania, and Greece, where their own relatives are dying from dis­eases superinduced by hardship and hunger. To such: sore and troubled minds, war bad come to be a hid­eousness which belonged to Europe alone and was part of that privation and depression which they had left behind them when they came to America. Newly immigrated Austrian subjects of a dozen nationalities came to their American friends during the weeks of suspense utterly bewildered by the prospect of war. They had heard not three months before that the Presi­dent of the United States did not believe in war-for so the Senate speech had been interpreted by many simple minds-and they had concluded that whatever happened, some more American way would be found."

MARY CHAMBERLAIN.

Somewhere in France. lf you wince at the thought of stabbing a Hun In the breast with the cold blue steel Of a . bayonet fixed on the end of your gun, In a trench raid how will you feel?

On the night's dark work you squirm away Over "no man's land" to the posts Where the barbed wire strands in the wind's lone way Sing a song of the gib.bering ghosts.

Oh, you cut a path through the tangled wire And wriggle your way through the strands, Then you flounder on in the icy mire To the place where a German stands.

A "Traitor" in High Places. "Today the thing most disturbing the American

people is whether it is just or wise to order our militia -our conscripted men-into the trenches of Europe. While I believe go per cent. of the American people are opposed to forcing our soldiers into the trenches of Europe unless they volunteer for that purpose, Con­gress has been so busy determining whether there shall be a tax on cigarettes, automobiles, and snuff that not a single rule governing the action of American forces has been offered in Congress upon that subject or rec­ommended by the Executive to Co·ngress.

"Upon read.ing a pamplet addressed to Congress by Mr. Hannis Taylor, a distinguished member of the New York Bar, I have made an ·investigation on my own account, and I state now to my colleagues that under our Constitution Congr~ss h~s no power to· call the militia of the United States or the militia of the several States, by c..anscription o·r otherwise, and order them into service outside of the United States.

"Gentlemen may claim that the conscription act does not purpose to use the militia. Unfortunately for that contention, Congress has itself placed every man between the ages of r8 and 45 in the military depart­ment of our government, and the attempt now to com­pel them to serve in a foreign land would, in my humble opinion, be a clear violation of the Consti­tution."

Hon. WILLIAM E. MASON. (Congressional Record, June 19th, 1917.)

On guard to protect a machine-gun squad That is snatching a moment's sleep, And shiver with cold as you see him nod And close to the parapet creep.

Then you grasp your knife by the barbed hilt And leap to the devil's work, For you kno.w that now you must never wilt Till you've wielded your murderous dirk.

So you crush in the face of this Prussian guard With steel-barbed hilt of your blade, And you follow the blow with a stroke of the shard Through the heart which a God has made.

· J. L. KEDDY. (The Conning Tower, New Y ark Tribune.)

Of the Spirit. Nineteen hundred and seventeen years ago the Jews

tried ·by the crucifixion of a man named Jesus to crush out, by force, a spirit... Force can no more overcome an evil than a good spirit. We have joined ourselves with the Allies to force the evil spirit out of Germany. We call it by various names: Prussianism, German Kultur; but it was not invented in Prussia, nor made in Germany. It expresses itself in autocracy, in the exploitation of labor by capital, in the deification of efficiency, in the might-makes-right idea, in hideous cruelty, justified by virtuous ends; ergo, national self­defence; ergo, patriotism . .

But behold the spectacle-for we i:narch in solemn pomp with the material force-weapons of all the Allies when it is too late, when already the victory of spirit over mate·rial force is won! For the spirit of Prus­sianism straddles the world! The press choked, free speech dead, justice in courts of law made mock of, bigotry elevated to a national virtue·, and Force made god of all!

When are we to realize that a spirit iqimical to mankind can only be cured by a spirit antitoxic? When will the vast, undaunted World-Mind concen­trate itself upon the cure for war, as it concentrates upon the cure for the submarine evil, the Zeppelin evil? These engines of destruction it will meet and conquer as it conquers the diseases of the human body. When will that Mind fix itself upon the greatest world disease, and make peace as sure upon earth, as time is sure?

MARJORIE BENTON COOKE.

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THE LATEST RUSSIAN .PEACE TERMS? "BREAD- PEACE-. LIBERTY!"

Editors of this Issue :

:o"~~ed and Published fortnightly by the Woman's Peace Party of New York City, 70 Fifth Ave., ·!New York, N.Y., who arc glad to have contents reprinted, with due acknowledgment. ,MARGARET LANE, Managing Editor.

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JESSIE ASHLEY MARY CHAMBERLAIN

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