Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-12-17

touching upon the mooted question OF
whether military preparation tends to
prevent war.
Bryan Opposes Preparedness.
Richmond, Va, Dec. .9-Secretary
of State William ]. Bryan was the
chief speaker this evening before the
executive committee of the Federal
council of the Churches of Christ in
America which convened here today.
Secretary Bryan's subject was "un-,
Yersal peace.
| Secretary Bryan addressing the
/. strong praise of the president on the
question of preparedness in his annual
message.
eve are not at liberty to discuss the
causes of war;" Mr.. Bryan said. That
would not be neutral. The president
has asked us to be neutral and it is
important that we should be. VIII
should we sit, in judgment when it is
SO important that We maintain an
attitude that will make it possible for
us to help them when the time ar
rives.
cit has been long while in this
country since anybody praised war as
a blessing but we have had some who
thought the wayto prevent it was to
get ready for it and preparedness has
been the basis of the argument upon
/ which men have relied for increase in
| army and navy If preparedness. pre-
vents war l want to be present at the
next international meeting when some
body suggests that preparedness pre-
vents war there would be no war IN
Europe, for they were prepared.
They had been preparing for long
| time with different degrees of prepar-
| alton, but they were all preparing.
The fallacy is exposed. Preparedness
may help you if you get into war, but
| II 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-
prae for war unless you either are
afraid of somebody, or hate somebody.
| The people will not bear the burden
| of taxation. You can not make them
bend their backs to the load unless
YOU can make them believe 1t is nee
sary, and how can you make them be-
/ lieve it is necessary? You have got
/ to have somebody to whom you eau
| point and say:
| IF you don't get ready they will
catch you unprepared.' You have got
to teach them to hate somebody and
hate and hate until they get chance
tc lick them. That is what prepared
ness means and l am glad that our
president has took his stand on the
other side.
Daniels Says Don't Worry.
Washington, Dec 10.-Military pre-
parednes of the nation was again the
dominant subject of congressional at
ttention today. Secretary Daniels, be-
| fore the house naval committee, de-
Tended his two battleships a year con-
struction program and declared the
sentiment of the people of the United
States opposed turning the country
into great military power. Mean
time a free-for-all national defence
debate occupied the house itself.
Mr. Daniels during an all day ex-
animation said that country already
had a powerful navy and that while
with abundant revenue" he might
favor the general boards four battle
ship plan.
'When the war is over" he said,
those countries will be so exhausted
| in their resources and burdened. with
] debt that there will be great revul-
| sion against war. I expect the revul-
sion will be so great that we will have
Tn international conference on arma-
ment-more possible now than eve"
beforehand that we will get some ac-
| ton bV which the navies of the world
powers will be used only to carry into
execution the agreements the coun-
tries reach"
Gardner Heard.
Representative Garner precipitat-
ed the military discussion on the house
| floor with a speech criticising the adj
administration for laying the cold
hand of death" on his proposal for
special investigation of military and
! naval conditions He assailed the
rules committee for refusal to grant
him a hearing, and the naval and mil
itary committees for failure to sum-
mon before them former cabinet Off
Gals and other witnesses he wanted
examined.
eff war were to break out today
said Mr.. Gardner, 'it would be found
our coast defenses have not sufficient
ammunition for an hours fighting"
Representative Fitzgerald of New
York, replied briefly, and promised to
make a complete statement later
| which would make "notoriety seeking
ex-secretaries" less anxious to discuss
the national defense. Representative
Dies, of Texas, rfdiculed the thought
OF impending danger Of attack. Rep
resentative Sisson of Mississippi.
charged the 9war propaganda" to the
manufacturers of war material. Rep
1esentative Prouty, of Iowa, pleaded
for International disarmament, arbi
tration, and an international police,
declared a force of trained squirrel