Competition in armament, both land and naval, is not only a terrible burden upon the people, but I believe it to be one of the greatest menaces to the peace of the world.
Interpretation
The ongoing arms race poses a significant threat to global peace and burdens society.
Frank B. Kellogg's quote emphasizes the detrimental effects of military competition on society and global stability. He argues that the focus on developing land and naval armaments not only drains resources and burdens the populace but also escalates tensions, ultimately endangering world peace.
In practice
In a speech about global security, one might cite this quote to emphasize the need for disarmament.
It is idle to say that nations can struggle to outdo each other in building armaments and never use them. History demonstrates the contrary, and we have but to go back to the last war to see the appalling effect of nations competing in great armaments.
War will stop when we no longer praise it, or give it any attention at all. Peace will come wherever it is sincerely invited.
I speak of peace, therefore, as the necessary rational end of rational men. I realize the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of war... But we have no more urgent task.
It is not only war that can stop war but men of goodwill, conscious of their mission can deal with such deadly enemy.
To achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East takes guts, not guns.
By its existence, the Peace Movement denies that governments know best; it stands for a different order of priorities: the human race comes first.
Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.
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