point remote from the political and industrial struggle look down upon the activity of the people and the creative forces hewing out the destiny of the nations. The real interests, needs and ideals of the people would be best represented by selecting for this commission journalists, pub

licists, scientists, professional men, men of affairs, wage-earners-those in close touch with the heart of the nations, through their work, whether as organizers of the processes of production and commerce or as the human agents necessary for the utilization of material resources."

W

HAT would have been the effect on the world now at war had the motion picture attained its present power for the promotion of international amity, say fifty years ago?

I do not hesitate to say that the educational influence involved would have been so valuable in general dissemination of international friendliness and understanding, that war would have been unthinkable.

This suggests the probable influence of the motion picture in promoting international undertsanding for the future, provided due liberty is permitted by governments for the proper development of this tremendously powerful instrument.

There appears excellent ground for the conviction that the rapidly growing universality of the motion picture, through interchange of the best productions, their world-wide exhibition in cities, towns, villages and hamlets, is rapidly bringing about a

feeling of international fellowship such as has never hitherto been approached.

In fact I am impelled to the paraphrase: "Let me make the world's film-I care not who wages its wars."

The power of the motion picture should become infinitely greater than that of the press in composing international differences. The press of each country reflects its biased point of view and therefore aggravates rather than ameliorates.

I believe that the long existent and ever menacing hatreds of the Balkan peoples for each other have always been and are still due to ignorance, superstition and exaggerated tradition, causes which could not have persisted except for the insularity of the peoples involved the fact that whole nations, separated perhaps by a mere range of hills, knew nothing of each other except that which had been learned through the ferocities of war, and had been encouraged for

centuries by scheming rulers to regard each other with fear and loathing.

The principal trouble with the world has been a lack of neighborly feeling an aloofness toward the family next door. It is the tendency of human nature to be suspicious of and antagonistic to the unknown-to attribute all sorts of evil practices to such as are, by racial or local custom, offenders against certain preconceived notions of correct human conduct.

The work that is being done by the motion picture is the very great work of breaking down false barriers, smashing imaginary embargoes -making neighbors of peoples immemorially at enmity-displaying them to each other on the screen and convincing each group, to its intense astonishment, that the other doesn't wear horns. This is the educational which carried to its proper process, extent, will abolish war.

If it is the desire of the nations, as they all insist, to have the truth about themselves spread before the eyes of the world, what medium exists so ready to their hands as that of the motion picture?

There has been wide use of the film in glorification of the bloody science of war. Suppose the crying necessity for peace, illustrated from a mass of material available in every warring country, could be brought to the attention of humanity through world-wide resources of the motion

picture industry-would not public opinion force peace?

The motion picture film attained its world-wide circulation just too late to be decisive in prevention of this war. I believe that it will, if sanely used, prove the deciding influence against wars for the future. That it has had a large influence in redirecting public opinion in all countries toward peaceful ideals, cannot be doubted.

The persistence of superstition in the minds of men is a phenomenon of human history. It is worth noting that we now have in our hands a tool that shall dig the grave of superstition and also that of political greed, which has used it and battened on it to the detriment of human progress since time immemorial.

This tool, I say, is the motion picture. It will show one half the world how the other half lives. It will create sympathies, establish friendships, abolish fetishes, destroy idols. It will be the world's schoolmaster in a time when the world is more eager than ever before to learn. It will sweep away, ultimately, the "royal rights" of hereditary incubi.

The potency of the motion picture's influence has already been recognized by powers that thus far have controlled the world's governments. It is to be hoped that for the future this vast force will be used to extend knowledge and suppress ignorance to educate humanity in the arts of peace and to emphasize the criminal folly of war.

The Conference of officers, members, and guests of the League is called for 2.30 p. m. At the same place a separate morning conference will be held by the American Peace Society and invited peace workers. At 4 p. m. there will be a joint conference of The World's Court League and representatives of other organizations.

The World's Court League dinner at 7 p. m. will be a brilliant affair. Distinguished speakers will discuss the subject of world organization, among them James Brown Scott, President of the Neutrality Board and special adviser to the State Department; Professor Anna Garlin Spencer of Pennsylvania, Congressman James L. Slayden of Texas, Mrs. Fanny Fern Andrews of Massachusetts, Dr. Toyoki-chi Iyenaga, and Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, President of Columbia University. The price of the dinner is six dollars. It is requested that members or interested persons residing out of town who fail to receive invitations, notify The World's Court League, 120 Broadway.

LUNCHEON AT YONKERS

A SUCCESSFUL conference and

luncheon in the interest of The World's Court League was held at Yonkers, New York, on January 6th, under auspices of the New

York State Branch League. Some thirty leading citizens attended. Professor William B. Guthrie presented the claims of an International Court of Justice as a rational means of settling disputes between nations. Dr. Samuel T. Dutton, General Secretary of The World's Court League, dwelt on the spread of education and democracy which has been preparing the world for the establishment of a World Court. He emphasized the present time as an unprecedented opportunity to press for its establishment. E. R. Perry, national and state branch secretary, pleaded for individual exercise of belief in the court by focussing endeavor in its behalf through active membership in the League.

Brief speeches in favor of the court movement were made by Rev. Dr. William P. Stevenson, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Rev. Charles N. Arbuckle, pastor of the Baptist Church of the Redeemer, James G. Beemer, John C. Ten Eyck, Mayor G. T. Lennon and ex-Mayor Nathan A. Warren. Mr. Walter Thomas expressed the opinion that not education, not democracy, not law, but Christianity is the remedy for war. Mr. E. A. Theis, supreme dictator of the Loyal Order of Moose, stood for the need of an international court of law and education as an essential, because we see most of the warring nations going to carnage with hymns and prayers on their lips, in the belief that God is behind their war-making.

Colonel John D. Brooks, host of the occasion, presided. Among those present were: Rev. John Mark Ericson, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church; Rev. John Henry Day, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church; Rev. Charles F. Mayhew, Nepperhan Avenue Baptist Church; Rev. Charles Howland Cookman, First Methodist Episcopal Church; Rev. A. Raymond Eckels, Bryn Mawr Park Presbyterian Church; Rev. Frederick W. Cutler, First Reformed Church; Rev. A. C. McMillan, Westminster Presbyterian Church; Walter F. Haskett, General Secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association; Charles R. Otis, Albert Bunker, Gideon H. Peck, Percy J. Knapp, James B. Murray, Chas. E. Gorton, Leslie Sutherland, Rev. Chas. H. Cookman, Mr. Albert Bunker.

THE FRIENDS ENDORSE WORLD COURT

The New York Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends has adopted the following strong endorsement which Anna L. Curtis, secretary, sends to The World's Court League:

"Since the World Court Movement is for the purpose of securing the establishment of an International Court of Justice to settle international disputes, a court with permanent judges always sitting; and since such a court seems to be a promising means of ending war and securing permanent peace; it is the sense of this Meeting that we should give the movement our earnest and sincere support."

The Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Branch of the Woman's Peace Party, at the regular monthly meeting last month, voted to endorse The World's Court League. Mrs. J. Malcolm Forbes is president of this active branch.

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP FOR ANTON

LANG OF OBERAMMERGAU

From far-off Oberammergau, in Bavaria, Anton Lang, who takes the part of Christus, in the Passion Play,

asks whether some way cannot be found to end militarism by international agreement, and whether America cannot take the lead in this great step forward, to insure future generations against such scenes as now accompany hostilities in Europe.

Lang's appeal in behalf of humanity was made through Carl W. Ackerman, correspondent of the United Press, who visited him at Oberammergau and who cabled his words to American newspapers. The following response has been transmitted to Mr. Ackerman, with the request that it be forwarded to Anton Lang:

"To Anton Lang, Oberammergau, Bavaria, from The World's Court League headquarters in America:

"Greetings and deep appreciation of the noble purpose and lofty spirit animating your message cabled to this country by Carl W. Ackerman of the United Press. You ask whether all militarism cannot be destroyed through international agreements, and whether America cannot take the first step in this direction. We are glad to tell you that for more than a year a large number of American men and women who share your feeling have been quietly working through a voluntary organization called The World's Court League, in an effort to arouse public opinion to the necessity of establishing an international court of justice modelled after the United States Supreme Court at Washington-a World Court wherein disputes between nations may be adjudicated under rules of international law. This World Court, to be established when the present war ends, Iwould have back of it no threat of armed forces. Its judgments would be made effective by the power of enlightened public opinion which shrinks with horror from the possibility of future wars and wholesale slaughter of human life. As soon as practicable definite steps will be taken to crystallize public sentiment in Europe and Asia. Representing, as you do, the highest aspirations of true brotherhood for all men, we beg you to accept honorary membership in The World's Court League.

"As surely as two and two make four, militarism can not be crushed by militarism. All attempts to do so have been fruitless-insane even. But there is no reason to infer that militarism will never be eradicated; merely that it will be accomplished in a totally different way."-Georg Brandes.

"When we have for years seen the underlying motives for all this terrible destruction and know that ninety-nine per cent. of it is national jealousy and the rest talk, what are we to think of the column after column of platitudes about small nations and the love of righteousness? What are we to think of the ministers of the Gospel who rend the air with hysterical cries against concluding a peace or even a truce?"-Cardinal O'Connell.

"I accept without complaint all the limitations of social contact which my own race or faith may bring me; but no man can shut me out from performing my duties to the nation. Great and consuming as is my love for my country, it can never make me hate the people of any other country; nor am I willing to sacrifice them to prove my willingness to sacrifice myself. I am an American, and because I am an American I wish to cooperate with the people of every other country for the good of humanity. I do not regard the boundaries of my affections fixed, and I aspire to grow in that quality in which alone infinite growth is

possible: in affection for mankind. I desire to work for my country's material wellbeing, for her supreme place among the nations of the world, and I hope to fit myself to further her every laudable ambition in that direction by doing well my daily task as part of my patriotic duty. America, my country: in her intercourse with other nations may she always be right. My country, right or wrong; but when she is wrong I am as ready to die that she may not commit the wrong, as I am ready to live and work that she may be right."-Edward A. Steiner.

See

"Our horses are entitled to food, water, bedding and shelter just exactly as a trooper is. A horse should not be insulted or distressed, either by cruel treatment or vehement language, and to curse a horse is as bad as to curse a man, perhaps worse, because a horse cannot strike back, and is practically within our power. The courage of a horse comes from the courage of the rider. Alone he is timid and nervous. to it that he is not needlessly alarmed. Words of encouragement are grateful to him; rough usage and hateful language distress and frighten him. Vile language toward a horse shall be looked upon henceforth by officers exactly as if the unfit language were applied to a human being. Reproof and punishment must follow accordingly."-Kaiser Wilhelm.

Sun, Pittsburgh, Pa. “Public opinion is one of the most powerful forces in the universe, and that fact is slowly becoming recognized by even the most autocratic and arrogant of rulers."

Chronicle, Marquette, Mich.: "If you cannot indict a whole people, you cannot convict and coerce them either. If you insist in your fatal policy of treating them as all black or all white, or green, or gray, you will only fuse them in that deadly national solidarity on the rocks of which so many schemes have been dashed to pieces. Try coercing a whole nation and see it rise as one man against you."

Saturday Evening Post, Philadelphia: "PEACE TERMS: Gerrymandering the boundaries of Europe is not a matter of the first importance to this country. For us, for every neutral country and for every belligerent, the grand consideration-in comparison with which all others are decidedly secondary-is whether the terms of settlement definitely lessen the probability of another war. There is only one possible way to accomplish that-namely, by a sweeping reduction of armaments and setting up some sort of international authority to which disputes between states shall be referred. The old scheme of competitive armaments, and every nation the final judge of its own acts,