$762,000,000—what elementary, high school and junior college education—public and private, church and state—cost the people of the United States in 1918, the date of the last authoritative information.
$727,000,000—What Congress is now proposing to spend on our army and navy during the ensuing year.
Nearly $400,000,000 was voted by the House the other day to the navy alone, and the advocates of disarmament were able to muster only 12 votes against it. The disarmament amendments were pitchforked without ceremony. Doubtless the army appropriation of $332,000,000 will be railroaded through in like fashion.
PAGAN IDEALS
Manifestly it is not yet possible for peace and practical wisdom to lie down together like the lion and the lamb of Isaiah’s dream. Not yet possible after 2,000 years of Christian civilization—think of that, if you please!
What we call civilization is still a beak and talon, tooth and claw struggle for survival and supremacy among men and nations alike. Harmony within groups and fair play between groups is still an unlearned lesson of life.
The peace on earth announced to the Bethlehem shepherds is still an iridescent dream. Or so our practical statesmen say.
Maybe so. And not impossibly, Christiandom may crumble into dust before men and nations can learn the supreme folly of war.
The Japanese are calmly certain that what they are witnessing today is the passing of Europe into the scrap heap of history
. The burden of taxes for wars past, present, and future is crushing the last remains of life out of Europe and the situation looks hopeless.
And hardly less hopeless in America. Although we can play the game longer than any other people on earth, the end is not certain at last.
THE MASSES MUST MOVE
There is small comfort in the fact that our federal taxes average $270 per year per family; that $183 of it is on account of past wars—interest on war debts, pensions, vocational and health rehabilitation for soldiers and sailors, and the like; that $66 goes for direct expenditures on the army and navy, and that only $16 of it goes for government functions—salaries and public works, and that only $2.70 of it is spent on health, education and agriculture!
The navy costs us more year by year than all our churches of every name, sect and sort—more this year by some $50,000,000.
The army costs us more than all our colleges, technical schools, and universities, church and state—more by $200,000,000.
A single first-class battleship costs us more than the teacher training schools of the whole United States—from 10 to 15 millions more.
So far as the world’s history culture and the curse of war have been one. And congresses and parliaments are never likely to weigh one against the other unless the multitude in every country begin to organize an intelligent—not to say Christian—revolt against swords and spears, in behalf of ploughshares and pruning hooks.
Our colleges must lead the way—and above all, our church colleges.
From the front page of The Enterprise, Williamston, Martin County, N.C., May 18, 1921. ($270 in 1921 is worth $3,973 in May, 2021.)
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