Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-10
Militarism at jaime s.own,

By this hour the managers of the
jamestown Exposition are scratching
their heads and suppressing smiles
over the protest of the Episcopal
bishops who do not want the Expo
sition made the greatest military
spectacle the world has ever seen"
IL is not merely the ironic spirit of
Tolstoy that moves the professionals
TO petitions: it is more specifically
the fact that the triennial conven.
ton of the Episcopal Church is to be
held this yea, at jamestown.
Now, we should like to know why
the convention was turned James.
downward. No bishop has traitorous-
ly given us inside information as to
the motives that made the Church
Militant go into summer quarters
alongside the exposition's barrels OF
pinwheels, skyrockets and blank car
tridges, but we suspect most unchar.
itably that those who voted YEA" on
the motion to convene at jamestown
saw visions and dreamed dreams of
shining battleships gliding over blue
waters and believing salutes to land
and man. We further suspect that
the protesting ecclesiastics are chair
men of the various committees under
obligation to grind out good deal of
stupid business at high temperature.
These unhappy gentlemen foresee thu
hnrdships they will endure in trying
to keep their colleagues in stuffy
room auditing bills and revising by
laws while through the crack under
the boltcd door there filters in the
heavy rhythm Of marching men.
Where is there a rector who would
not be 10y again when the troops
so by?
There is more than this. though, TO
the protest. The Exposition officials
should take notice of the complaint
against excessive militarism. The
time is not ripe for the total sun.
preston OF military displays. any
more than 1t is for the abolition of
armies and havies. But civilization
surely has reached the point where a
great Exposition should find 1t good
business to subordinate parades and
fireworks. Military displays have
their place in any exposition. In fact
they have a double place. for thoy
are useful in irving form and imTres.
sivoness To other special celebrations
and they also serve to instruct the
nnhl'" rh"ut The "rncrcss made i'm ma.
tiona defence. This second function
is, to be sure, widely condemned now.
adays War being generally deemed!
an ahomination. il is supposed to fol.
low that wariika disulavs are likewise
ahominab!e, but we fail to follow the
argument At the moment of writ.
Ing war remains. we fear. n necessary
CIVIL. due sometimes to economic NAL.
adjustments and sometimes to human
ambitions and stnpiditics though il
Is being reduced toward an innocuous
minimum. But this fact does not
bear In the least upon the proDriety
OF drills and manoeuvres at county
fairs and International cXpositions.
Any display of the Instruments used
IN dealing with an unavoidable evil
is not itself evil if that were tho
case, we should have to forbid public
police drills exhibits Of the various
antl.fice societies. and even DISPLAYS
ny the tuberculosis leagues. Not even
a crew of firemen could be consist
emily permitted to sciirry up ladders
tand tumble five stories into nets for
| the edificotion of small boys.
Neighty objections to military dis.
| nlays arise only when all sense of
! proportion is lost and the exposition
management makes uniforms and tor.
pedo boats tho chief attractions. In
an age when the sword is beaten bv
the plouShshare at the polls II is moi
even sound business Judgment to
'hnMn the war drum so violently that
nobody can hear the whir of dvno.
mos. 1t Is unlikely that the .Iamcs.
town managers will suffer The opin.
ion to spread that their exposition
] VIII have comparatively little to AT.
tract Nhc serious minded workman
NE student and the business man
New York 'rrihunn