Universal Peace and the School (Document I)

Dr. Eugene Clarence (E.C.) Warriner (1866-1945) was a well respected educator in the state of Michigan, United States. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1891, Warriner served for over 20 years in the Saginaw, MI School System. In 1918, Warriner became the fourth President of Central State Normal School (which later became “Central Michigan University”) in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Presiding over the college during the difficult years of World War I, Warriner remained a steadfast advocate for peace. He believed that public education was essential to realizing the goals of the peace movement and accordingly organized and presided over the Michigan branch of the American School Peace League which was founded in Bay City, Michigan in 1910. During his career, Warriner gave a number of speeches to teachers and students on peace, international arbitration and international law. These speeches are held by the Clarke historical library at Central Michigan University. Document 1 titled 'Universal Peace and the School' : The precise date is unknown, but it was likely written around 1911 when Warriner became more involved with the Michigan Branch of the American School Peace League (which was established in October 1910). No mention of the war is made in the speech, but the speech is interesting as a complement to Documents 3 (Speech on Patriotism) and 4 (Letter from Hyman Herman). Taken as a whole - Documents 1 (Universal Peace and the School) , 3 (Speech on Patriotism) and 4 (Letter from Hyman Herman) illustrate how Warriner’s thinking about patriotism, citizenship and the duty of the teacher shifts after World War 1 begins. In Document 1 (Universal Peace and the School), teachers are exhorted to engage in a “warfare against war” and are told that “the teacher’s part in this warfare against war is to create a humble sentiment against war as a means of settling controversial disputes”. This claim is rather different than the discussion of the teacher’s duty in Document 3 (which was written in 1915 - after the beginning of World War I, but prior to the U.S. entry to the war). A theory of war is provided according to which man’s instincts for acquisitiveness (the desire of possession) and pugnacity (the impulse to strike at a foe) are the primary culprits. Civilization is defined as a taming of these instincts.