FOOLISH PEACE TALK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 37, 14 June 1915, Page 4

FOOLISH PEACE TALK.

Dr. Eliot, ex-president of Harvard University, addressing a meeting of Baptist ministers at Boston early in April, was inspired by talk of peace to make tbe following candid declaration :—Do not pray for peace now. I cannot conceive a worse catastrophe for the human race than peace in Europe now. If it were declared now, Germany would be in possession of Belgium, and German aggressive militarism would have triumphed. That would be a success for Germany after she had committed tbe greatest crime a nation can commit—namely, faithlessness to treaty rigbts—and tbe sanctity of contracts would pass for nothing, and civilisation would be set back for centuries. J do not see bow any thinking American can keep himself neutral. Liberty and every other American ideal are involved in this war. Asked when ministers might begin to pray for peace. Dr. Eliot said: "Whon Germany is driven back into her own territory, and forced to pay full indemnity to Belgium." "The Times" correspondent at Washington, commenting on this opinion, .states: "If Berlin can recognise such a thing as wisdom, it will take from Di-. Eliot's

words a cue for its next appearance in tbe role of a nation inoomprise, and mend its ways in tbe meanwhile. The best American opinion, be adds, is under no delusions as to the origin of the peace movement. It deems it, like its predecessor, a child of German diplomacy, which is becoming progressively discredited.