Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-10-08
PATRIOTISM
Address of Senator Theodore E. Bur-
ton To The Cleveland Advertising
Club-Plea for National DefIise
Based on Common Sense Principles.

That the United States is in i'm
mediate need of bigger army and
navy for defense, and that compulsory
military Service may have to be re-
sorted to, was the word of warning
given by Senator Theodore E. \Bur-
ton Wednesday noon, September 29,
IN a speech delivered before eight hun
dred members and guests of The
Cleveland Advertising Club in the
Ball Room of the Hotel Statler,
The subject OF Mr.. Burton's address
was PATRIOTISM" 81 wish to say
that the world today is confronted by
a crisIs," said Mr.. burton, mot mere
ly the warning nations; but the
| United States and all the Americans.
Going on our way in peace, free from
war, we do not realize the significance
of the events of today"
"a couple of weeks ago, l availled
myself, in the Congressional Library
at Washington, of the best statistics
in regard to the number of men en-
ployed in the waste of the worlds re-
sources. The best estimate obtain
able gave, first, the number of men
enlisted with the principal warning
nations as twenty-three millions.
What an enormous drain on the
worlds manhood, especially when we
take into account that it is no small
fraction of these twenty-three mil
lions who have fallen on the fields of
battle, died from disease, or been
manned for life. The losses of pro-
perty are even more colossal. The
estimates of the aggregate of that
is forty-seven billions of dollars"
"What are the first duties of pa
triotism? One of the most import
ant is National defense Now l am
a man of peace, and l think l know
the views of nearly all or the ma
ioritv of you. You believe in peace;
but here, like a rude shock, like a
thunder-clap out of clear sky, has
come this war;"
Mr.. Burton here showed how the
results of previous wars had usually
been to bring about an era of peace
Immediately following; but he also
pointed out that a possible result of
this war might be that the defeated
nations would simply arm themselves
to a greater extent than ever before,
so that they might be better prepared
for the next fight that came. eff
that result should be true" said Mr..
Burton, I'VE could not stand by in
different to the changed situation of
The world. That means that however
much we may love peace, we must
ne ready for all eventuallties."
"The general fact, | think, is suf-
ficiently clear. The enlargement of
| the army, a more efficient navy, and
better balanced navy, these are the
immediate steps before US. The most
important of all-for we do not wish
to withdraw a large proportion of our
population from the pursuits of agri-
culture, manufacture and commerce
is to maintain a great reserve force.
Now nobody knows what may hap
pen. We may have to go to the ex-
treme of compulsory military service
for a time"
"We may have to adopt, at least
in a measure, the Swiss system, which
provides for three classes of service
and which has made it possible for the
little nation of Switzerland to have
over 100000 men ready for war at
a moments call. In the United States
we have the raw material; but if ar
emergency comes to US, we do moi
wish to see raw recruits stand up anC
be shot at. A certain amount of mill
tary training is necessary"
81 do not wish to leave you, how
ever, with the impression that the
one only duty of patriotism is mill
tary. Patriotism demands that the
Individual make of himself live fac
tor in the city and community. W.
have fallen into a certain degree, al
most, of degeneracy Is it not tim,
for a spiritual awakening, a nev
birth of patriotism? Is it not tim,
for the American citizen to think o.
his duty to his country and to tn
world?"