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INTERNATIONAL PEACE
One thing is certain. If the mad race for armaments continues, it is bound
to result in a slaughter such as has never occurred in history. If there
is a victor left, the very victory will be a living death for the nation
that emerges victorious. There is no escape from the impending doom save
through a bold and unconditional acceptance of the non-violent method
with all its glorious implications.
If there were no greed, there would be no occasion for armaments. The
principle of non-violence necessitates complete abstention from exploitation
in any form.
Immediately the spirit of exploitation is gone, armaments will be felt
as a positive unbearable burden. Real disarmament cannot come unless the
nations of the world cease to exploit one another.
The golden way is to be friends with the world and to regard the whole
human family as one. He who distinguishes between the votaries of one’s
own religion and those of another mis-educates the members of his own
and opens the way for discard and irreligion.
My goal is friendship with the whole world and I can combine the greatest
love with the greatest opposition to wrong.
Not to believe in the possibility of permanent peace is to disbelieve
in the godliness of human nature. Methods hitherto adopted have failed
because rock-bottom sincerity on the part of those who have striven has
been lacking. Not that they have realized this lack. Peace is unattained
by part performace of conditions, even as a chemical combination is impossible
without complete fulfilment of the conditions of attainment thereof.
If the recognized leaders of mankind who have control over the engines
of destructions were wholly to renounce their use, with full knowledge
of its implications, permanent peace can be obtained. This is clearly
impossible without the Great Powers of the earth renouncing their imperialistic
design. This again seems impossible without great nations ceasing to believe
in soul-destroying competition and to desire to multiply wants and, therefore,
increase their material possessions.
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