The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-11-12
|BRYAN BRANDS
Defense PLAN
Former Secretary of State
Opposes Program.
Characterizes Wilson's Proposal
as an Open Challenge to
Christianity.

Washington, Nov. 5.-Former Sec.
rotary Bryan came out squarely
against President Wilson's national
defense plan today in formal state.
ment in which he took issue with the
Presidents views.
"A departure from our traditions,
a reversal of our national policy. q
menace to our peace and safety, and
a challenge to the spirit of Christian
ity which teaches us to influence
others by example rather than by
exciting fear" is Mr.. Bryan's view OF
the national defense plans.
The former Secretary of States
tatement, which reiterates views he
has previously expressed on the sub
ject Of preparedness for war was re-
garded as the opening gun in the
fight which Administration leaders
expect in Congress against adoption
Of the plan. Mr.. Bryan's statement
says in part:
Il have read the Presidents speech
at New York with sorrow and con-
Germ. He is doing what he believes
to be his duty, and so long as a man
follows his conscience and judgment,
We should not criticize his motives,
but We may be compelled to dissent
from his conclusions l feel it my
duty to dissent, and as he has given
his views with clearress and empha-
sis. those who differ from him are
urder like obligation to express
themselN es with equal clearness.
lie says that his position is differ
ent from that of the private individu.
al in that the individual is free to
speak his own thoughts and risk his
tie obscure. Insofar as he expresses
his own opinion, he does not differ
from the private citizen except that
he speaks under sense of official
responsibility, but where nations
fate is involved in policy every
private citizen who loves his country
and tries to serve 1t IS conscious OF
responsibility. The President will
hc: assume that he is more deeply in1
terested in the welfare of his country
than the millions who elected him 10
b.. for the time Icing, their spokes-
man. And if, as he evidently ta-
ewes, he is giving voice to the opin-
IONS of his Conntrymen, he IL, Of
course, anxious to have them as frank
with him as he has been with them
how otherwise can he know whether
he represents or misrepresents their
views. H
"He has announced policy which
has never before been adopted in this
country. and never Endorsed by any
party in the country, and he has no
way of knowing, until he hears from
the people. whether he has correctly
interpreted the will of the public.
His appeal is not to any party. but a.
he says, but to men of all shades of
opinion
''He asks for the hearty support Of
the country, meaning, OF course, that
he wants the support, provided the
people favor the policy which ne has
outlined He could not. OF course.
ask them to support a policy which
they did not indorse, especially If
they considered the policy dangerous
to the country.
From my view OF the subject, the
plan which he proposes is not only q
departure from our traditions but D
reversal of our national policy II h
not only a menace to our peace and
safety, but challenge to the spirit
OF Christianity which teaches us TO
) influence others by example rather
than by exciting fear.
1.-The President says that We should
be prepared not for aggression. but
for defense 9.
There has not been time in fifty
years when there was less reason TO
add TO the expenses OF the army and
navy. for we are not only without an
enemy, but our preparedness is tu-
creasing relatively as other nations
exhaust themselves. And there new
er was a time and there never has
been time in our whole history
when our duty 10 the world more i'm
peratiyely demanded selS-restraint
and the councils of peace.