Gilpin observer., 1914-12-17
WASHINGTON NEWS
By Edward Keating.

Shall the United States become a
military nation?
That lis the issue which Is about
to be presented to the people OF
this country.
The leaders of the Republican par
ty are planning to make the ques-
ticn of National defense" the par
amount plank in their national plat
form in 1916. The opening guns are
being fired in congress now. Gard
ner in the House and Lodge in the
Senate are endeavoring to throw the
scare" into the people.
The "Standpat" press is proving
valuable ally for the jingoes. Under
blood-red heads on the first page we
read that our army is no good, our
navy is made up of lot OF old tubs
and our coast defenses are construct
ed of papier mache. These veracd-
Gus Journalists assure us that Japan
could gobble IFS before breakfast and
that England or Germany could tame
cur proud spirits In about two weeks
Of real fighting.
All over the country, Republican
politicians are encouraging the form
alton of National Defense Leagues"
and plans are under way fer a ma
tional amalgamation of these lingo
to finance the scheme, not because
big Business" is at all nervous over
the state of our national defenses
but because the movement seems to
offer a means by which Woodrow
Wilson may be driven from the White
House and gentleman who is sat
isfactory to big Business" installed
in his place
In nutshell, all this hullabaloo
about National Eefense" will assay
about SO per cent politics and one
per cent patriotism.
President Wilson's Message.
President Wilson stated the case
as no other living being could.
Every American should read that
great document. If you have not
read it, send me your name and ad-
dress and l will mail you a copy.
After you have digested it, you may
go out among the jingoes without fear
OF contagion. You will know your
country Is safe and you will know
why It Is safe.
Let me quote few sentences from
the presidents message:
aH xx-st Ah a
world. No one who speaks counsel
based on fact or drawn from a just
and candid Interpretation OF realities
can say that there is reason to fear
that from any quarter our independ-
ence or the integrity Of" our ter
ritory is threatened.
That's pretty strong statement.
coming as it does from the chief ex-
ecutive of the nation, the man who
Is most familiar with the details of
our foreign relations. Eut he adds:
IF asked. Are you ready to de-
fend yourselves?' We reply Most
assmredly, to the utmost; yet we shall
not turn America into an armed
camp.'
The president proceeds to urge a
powerful navy as our proper and na-
tural defense" So far as the army
Is concerned, he advocates "a sys-
TEN by which every citizen, who will
volunteer for the training. may be
made familiar with the use of mod
ern arms, the rudiments of drill and
maneuver, and the maintenance and
sanitation OF camps"
A Large Standing Army.
Given a powerful navy and "oiti-
zenny accustomed to the use Of mod
ern arms what more does a peace
loving republic need to insure its
safety?
Our Republican friends of the jingo
variety reply: "A large standing
army"
Granted that a large standing army
would be a good thing-and, OF
course, do not make such a conces-
son for moment, how are you to