Ladies and Gentlemen,

If we do not want war we must look to the children. There is the only
hope and the only wise starting point. It is not without a deep
prophetic significance that Christ asked children to come unto Him. In
all the world-calamities, in all wars, strifes, religious inquisitions
and persecutions, in all the hours of human misery and helplessness, He
has been asking, through centuries, the children to come unto Him. I am
sure, if anybody has ears for His voice to-day, amidst the thunderings
of guns and passions and revenges, one would hear the same call: Let the
children come unto Me!--Not kings and politicians, not journalists and
generals, not the grown-up people, but children. And so to-day also,
when we ask for a way out of the present world-misery, when we _in
profundis_ of darkness to-day ask for light, and in sorrow for to-morrow
ask for advice and comfort, we must look to the children and Christ.


WHY NOT KINGS?

Why does Christ not ask the kings to come to Him--the kings, and
politicians, and journalists, and generals? Because they are too much
engaged in a wrong state of things, and because they are greatly
responsible themselves for such a wrong state of things, and because
consequently it is difficult for them to change their ways, their hearts
and their minds. It would be very hard for Napoleon and Pitt to kneel
together down before Christ and to embrace each other. It would be
almost impossible for Bismarck and Gambetta to walk together. Not less
it would be impossible for the Pope and Monsieur Loisy or George Tyrrel
to pray in the same bench. Every generation is laden with sins and