Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-10
BIG ARMY WILL
NOT PREVENT WAR,
SAYS ". ]. BRYAN
Preparedness as Preventive
Measure a Fallacy, Sec
retary Asserts.
GLAD PRESIDENT TOOK
STAND ON OTHER SIDE
Member of Wilson'S Cabinet Sits
as Delegate at Church
Conference.
IVA MIC, Dt,DcnHy.r ,rrS.xr,u,t,. Nf,I,
WANTS PERSONAL TEMPERANCE
Way to Suppress Liquor Traffic is
for Each Man to Stop
Drinking.

Every pause in the speech of William
Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State.
speaking last night at the City Audi
torium az delegate to the Federal
Council OF the Churches Of Christ I'm
America, before an audience of 1000
people, was the signal for vigorous ap
Dlause. The secretary's subject WAS
Church Unity and the Peace Move
ment." and he deplored the present
horrible struggle. in which all great
nations except America arc now en-
gagged.
I'VE arc not at liberty to discuss the
causes Of the war. That would not
be neutral We are not ut liberty TO
pass judgment upon the responsibility
OF the participants. we might not be
sufficiently informed to- decide ac-,
curateiy even IL we were at liberty
Ito, make the necessary Investigations.
The President has asked us to be
neutral. and II Is important that we
shall be neutral. why should we not?
Why should we desire to sit In judE-
ment upon them at this time, when
II is so important that we shall main
tain nm attitude that Will make 1t
possible for US to help them when
the time arrives?
MUST PREPARE To
DE THE PEACEMAkER
They are our kin people. Every
nation at war has its sons and daugh-
ters in our land. Their blood runs In
the veins OF our people, and not n poor
soldier boy falls upon the battlefield
over there on my aide that does
j moi; ma ke Z ns sad, Neutral 81. Yea.
1 love. them all. They must not doubt
Eit. for unless they have confidence in
us they Will not trust us when the
Z time comes. and this is the only great
= nation that can claim the promise of
the peacemaker and be the friend OF
all and help them But what can we
do. IL we cannot sit in Judgment upon
+ them?
4 I'VE can discuss the basis upon which
/ peace can be made permanent when
peace comes. and, my friends. think
we might well occupy the time con-
.sidering the lessons that are taught
and preparing ourselves to be even
more intelligent and earnest advocates
OF universal peace than we have been
heretofore. The lessons of the war are
being learned. and one OF them. think,
has been learned we'll enough SO that
we can form conclusion upon II.
NO ONE ADVOCATES
WAR AS A BLEssING
1T has been good while In this
country since anybody advocated war
as a blessing. and nobody now in Eu-
rope is ipraising war as n beneficient
thing, and we have made some progress
when not a crowned head will admit he
began the war or is responsible for 1t.
The President as soon as war broke out
rendered the good Offices of this coun-
try. and everyone with ono accord be-
gan to make excuses, and each one said
it was someone else, each one said.
Il did not want war: II was forced
upon u.s. That Is what they all said.
thank God the time has come when
warning nations are unwilling to take
the responsibility for having begun It.
II can prove to you in q sentence that
war Is not Il good thing. for II 1t were
/! wo would cultivate It. The things that
are good we plan for, and II war were
q blessing we would not want to get
1t by chance; we would arrange to have
il at certain Intervals, that we might
not miss It, 1t has been long time
in this country that anybody praised
war. as n blessing, but we have had
some who thought that the way to pre-
vent IT was to get ready for II, and
I preparedness has been the basis OF the
argument upon which men have relied
upon increase in army and navy.
PREPAREDNESS DOES
NOT PREVENT WAR
"If preparedness prevents war, l
want to be present at the next inter-
national meeting when somebody sug
gests that preparedness prevents war.
If; preparedness would prevent war.
they were prepared. They had been
preparing for long time, with differ
eht degrees of preparation. but they
were all preparing. My friends. the
fallacy Is exposed. Preparedness may
help you IL you get into n war, but 1t
will not keep you out Of war More
than that, preparedness will almost
with absolute certainty lead you into
war, Why? Because YOU cannot pre-.
pare for war unless you either are
afraid OF somebody or hate somebody.
The people will not bear the burden of
taxation. You cannot make them bend
their backs to the load unless you can
make them believe 1t is necessary, and
how can you make them believe 1t Is
necessary?
GLAD PRESIDENT TOOK
STAND ON OTHER SIDE
"You have got to have somebody to
whom you can point and say: If you
don't get ready they will catch you
unprepared.' You have got to- teacl,
them to- hate omebody. and hate and
hate and hate until they get chance
to lick them. That is what prepared
ness means. and i am glad that our
President yesterday took his stand on
the other side. He said IT. lis not true
that this nation Is unprepared; that
this nation will meet any emergency
that arises, but that this nation viii.
not be turned into military camp get
AFtipg ready for wars that ought not to
CONTINUED. on Fifth Page)