World peace and the college: the presidential address

Liberal Education, Summer, 2004 by Guy E. Snavely

A well-known humorist, whose tabloid observations appear in many metropolitan dailies, made recently a very wise observation. Like him, I think the great nations of the world in the Disarmament Conferences are making but a feeble gesture when they talk about the limitation of the size of the navies and standing armies, but most carefully avoid referring to the departments of death-dealing war engines, such as high explosives, airplanes, and poisonous gases. The war engines they are talking about are becoming more or less obsolete. Then, too, what assurance is given that the disarmament pacts will not be made, in a crisis, "scraps of paper," as was the case in the World War when treaties between nations were abrogated at the convenience of military strategists?

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The aftermath of war is practically as destructive, horrible, and gruesome as war itself. Epidemics, such as the influenza epidemic which came at the close of the World War, follow in the war god's train. Then, too, international conflicts are always followed by a disruption of society, and a great moral let-down, with indulgence in excesses that lead to despondency and despair. The world's civilization since the World War seems still to be reeling like a drunken man trying to turn a street corner.

Surely there is a way to peace. A world peace that will abide. The way to peace is the will to peace.

There are some notable gestures to inculcate the "will to peace." General approval by all the nations of the world seems now to be given to the World Court. The League of Nations, though not approved officially by our own nation, is generally admitted as approaching the ideal of its originator, the Commander-in-Chief of our own forces during the World War. Barriers of international prejudices that tend to international conflict are doubtless being broken down by the interchange of students and professors, fostered by the Institute of International Education and other great foundations of this country and abroad. Further progress toward world peace is a result of the Locarno Treaties. The greatest forward movement of all is the consummation of the Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact.

A way out, doubtless the best solution, is through the world's leaders in religion and education. In other words, the opportunity is for the church and the school....

The opportunity, nay, the burden for training leaders in the arts of permanent peace, must, then, rest upon the college. The group here assembled, and doubtless almost everyone else, will concede that nearly all our leaders are trained in the college. To the colleges credit can be given surely for the training of the leaders in the development of war engines. They trained the chemists and engineers who have improved the most destructive weapons in all modern warfare. They can be accused, also, and doubtless desire to be accused of developing the ideals that permeate the world's leaders....

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If the college faculties feel the responsibility of training students to the idea of settling differences through courts rather than by use of arms, of forgetting the greed of profit to be had in the sale of war materials, food, and other supplies, the war dogs will not again be unleashed. May I put it stronger by stating that I feel it is the solemn obligation of the colleges to train their students in every way to have a "will to peace." Then we can send the dispatch, Im Westen viel Neues.