They [some newspaper reports aboard the ship] asked, `How
can universal peace be achieved?' ‘Abdu'l-Bahá answered:
“Its realization is through the attraction and support of
world public opinion. Today universal peace is the panacea for all human life.”
They questioned, ‘What are these ills?' He answered:
“One of these ills is the people's restlessness and
discontent under the yoke of the war expenditures of the world's governments.
What the people earn through hard labor is extorted from them by the
governments and spent for purposes of war. And every day they increase these
expenditures. Thus the burden on men becomes more and more unbearable and the
tribulations of the people become more and more severe. This is one of the
great ills of the day. What a great tribulation there is in the countries of
Italy and Turkey in these days! The fathers hear of the death of their sons and
the sons are distressed on hearing the news of the death of their fathers. What
cities are laid to ruin and what rising fortunes are thrown to the winds! The
antidote for this great ill is world peace, which is the source of universal
tranquillity.”
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha aboard the Cedric, April
11, 1912, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)
