F. Marion Crawford: When everyone understands war it will stop by universal consent

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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts

American writers on peace and against war

F. Marion Crawford: The real issue is between civilization and barbarism, between peace and war

F. Marion Crawford: The world dreads the very name of war, lest it should become universal once it breaks out

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F. Marion Crawford
From An American Politician

“I don’t understand politics,” said the old lady….

“Nobody understands politics,” said Vancouver. “When people do, there will be an end of them. Politics consist in one half of the world trying to drive paradoxes down the throats of the other half.”

Joe laughed a little.

“I do not know anything about politics here,” she said, “though I do at home, of course. I must say, though, Mr. Harrington did not seem so very paradoxical.”

“Oh no,” answered Vancouver, blandly, “I did not mean in this case. Harrington is very much in earnest. But it is like war, you see. When every one understands it thoroughly, it will stop by universal consent. Did you ever read Bulwer’s ’Coming Race’?”

“Yes,” said Joe. “I always read those books. Vril, and that sort of thing, you mean? Oh yes.”

“Approximately,” answered Vancouver. “It was an allegory, you know. A hundred years hence people will write a book to explain what Bulwer meant. Vril stands for the cumulative power of potential science, of course.”

“I think Bulwer’s word shorter, and a good deal easier to understand,” said Joe, laughing.

“It is a great thing to be great,” remarked Miss Schenectady. “Sarah, I think you might bring us some tea, please, and ask John if he couldn’t stir the furnace a little. And then to have people explain you. Goethe must be a good deal amused, I expect, when people write books to prove that Byron was Euphorion.” Miss Schenectady was fond of German literature, and the extent of her reading was a constant surprise to her niece.

“What a lot of things you know, Aunt Zoë!” said Joe. “But what had Bulwer to do with war, Mr. Vancouver?”

“Oh, in the book – the ‘Coming Race,’ you know – they abolished war because they could kill each other so easily.”

“How nice that would be!” exclaimed Joe, looking at him.

“Why, you perfectly shock me, Joe,” cried Miss Schenectady.

“I mean, to have no war,” returned Joe, sweetly.

“Oh; I belonged to the Peace Conference myself,” said her aunt, immediately pacified.