Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-18

To reassure the 10000. 900 or more peo-
pie who swear allegiance to the Stars
and Stripes that there lis not the slights4
est reason for the wal. .-ssass- which has
furnished pabuium for the newspapers
and topic in Congress recently Presi-
dent Taft injected little plain talk into
a peace meeting last night and declared
the facts did not justify the alarm
In every respect the banquet of the
American Society for the Judicial Set
tlemept of International Disputes at the
New Willard was peace dinner; a
''hands-across-the-sea affair with every
body p'edeing support for the crusade
that has for its object a high court Of
nations to abolish martial strife.
The delegates. numbering more than
300. learned from NJ. Jusserand, the
French ambassador. that the peace move
ment is advancing: they learned from
former Ambassador Choate that the next
Hague conference would mark a new
err in international harmony; they learn
Ell from Gen. Frederick D. Grant that
the United States army is not an insti-
tuticn o. aggression. blu. a factor for the
preservation of peace. and they learned
from Pres. dent Taft that we are ready
for war. but will remain at peace with
the world fo- long. long time.
More Talk Than Facts Justify.
Not only was the President tie chief
honor guest. but his address was the
feature OF the evening. He said: There
las been good deal of talk in the pa
pers and some reference in Congress to
the supposed helpless condition of this
country in the event of a foreign inva-
sion. ] venture to think that much more
fas been made of this than the facts,
calmly considered, would justify.
We have very good navy, and with
fl;e opening of the Panama canal il will
be much more effective one 1t would
he useful to prevent the coming of an
invading army across the seas.
Will Not Consent to Big Army.
The people of this country will never
consent 10 the maintenance of a standing
army which military experts will pro-
nounce sufficiently large TO cope in battle
With the standing armies of the greater
powers. Should they get by our navy,
avoid our harbor defenses and descend
upon our coast-if this leaves us in a
position of helplessness. then SO be it,
For those who understand the peculiar
will in this country know that it cannot
ne otherwise. We shall do everything
IL We maintain our present regular army
If continue to improve the national
militia: II We pass the pending volunteer
bill, to go into operation when war is de-
clared and not TO involve the nation in a
dollars worth of expense until the emer-
gency arises: If We pass law now pend
ing In Congress. which Will give us a
force of additional officers trained in the
military art and able in times of peace
TO render efficient service in drilling the
militia of the states. and in nilng use ul
quasi-civil positions that a-e of the utmost
in a reasonable time. accumulate guns
and ammunition enough to equip and arm
the force We could enlist under our cOlOrs
in an emergency
Likely to Remain at Peace
II have said this much in order to al
!ay the so-called war scare which has fur
nished pabulum for the newspapers during
the last few days. There is not the
slightest reason for such "A sensation We
are at peace with all the nations of the
world and are quite likely to remain So
far as We can see into the future
Just a little more forethought, a little
more attention TO the matter on the part
of Congress. and we shall have all of the
army. and all OF the munitions and ma
terial Of war. that we ought to have In a
republic, situated as We are three thou
sand miles en- the one hand and five thou
sand miles on the other from the source
of possible INVASION Our army is much
more expensive per man than that of any
other nation. and IL Is not an unmixe6
evil that IL is SO. because 1t necessarily
restricts us to the maintenance of force
which is Indispensable in the ordinary
policing of this country and our depend
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