In spite of this fact, there are idealists like Former Secretary Bryan
who, while insisting that the United States should set up as a sort of
moral mentor for the world, nevertheless contend that we should not
increase our armament. They proclaim themselves advocates of peace at any
price. This may be correct as a mental attitude, but in these strenuous
times, when the most powerful nations are appealing to physical force
to adjust questions which might better have been settled by diplomacy,
the still small voice of moral suasion, though coming from potentially
powerful America, is not likely to be heard, above the din of battle. We
can record our protests, of course, but so far as any practical measures
to enforce humanity are concerned, we are quite powerless. Our government
should either keep out of the mess, and wait for returning reason, after
the war is over, to pave the way to universal peace through Judicial
Settlement—or, we should immediately proceed to place ourselves in a
condition of preparedness for war.