Evening star., 1915-09-17
BRYAN|S T0F|GHT
DEFENSE PROGRAM
Former Premier Here to Con-
fer With Foreign Language
Editors.
INDICATES AN INTENTION
TO STIR PUBLIC OPINION
Unwilling to Believe President Viii
son Is Committed to Bigger
Armament.

Armament.
William Jennings Bryan, former Sec
retary of State. who arrived in wash
ington yesterday afternoon for con-
ference here today with editors of for.
eign language newspapers who want
him to go abroad to attempt to end the
war. made 1t clear this afternoon in an
interview with a representative of The
Star that he intends to fight with all
his power any proposal leading to in
creased military preparedness by the
United States.
In addition, Mr.. Bryan gave, for the
first time in Washington, at any rate.
some indication of the line of attack
he will use, namely, working up of
sentiment among groups of Americans
against the extraordinary expense that
| would be involved by increased mill
tary preparedness.
Avoids Political Questions.
This analysis of his position upon
this great question is that of his In
terviewer rather than his own. What
he had to say was dictated in answer
to a series of questions and left no
doubt in the premises. He would not
answer questions as to the possible eff
feet of his attack on military pre-
paredness upon the democratic party,
or as to what his position will be.
specifically, if it is found that Presi
dent Wilson espouses the cause of in
creased military preparedness. These
he characterized as hypothetical ques-
tions.
Likewise. Mr.. Bryan refused to accept
| statements made to him that there is a
general belief in Washington now that
the administration is for increased mil
itary prepa redness. He declared he does
not believe that any person has the
right to speak for President Wilson on
that subject, and to the suggestion that
there has been rumor within the last
twenty four hours that the administra-
ton will come out for a bond issue as
the only way in which the country can
pay for increased military prepared
ness, he referred to his dictated inter-
view, in which he dealt with the ques-
tion of expense.
Trouble in Raising Money.
On this point he said:
IF you want to get acquainted with
the difficulties that lie in the way of
the military preparedness propaganda,
just suggest the method by which the
increased revenue necessary is to be
| raised. If you attempt to raise it by
increasing the tariff. the tariff reform
on beer and whisky, the breweries and
distilleries will object If you attempt
to raise it on incomes, those who pay
these taxes will object 1t is much
easier to scare the army and navy con-
tractors into the advocacy of prepared
ness than it is to scare the taxpayers
into taking up this unnecessary bur-
den.
Blames War Discussion.
Il do not see that there is any reason
for changing the policy of the country
in this respect. The fact that some of
our people are excited and nervous is
one of the evil effects of the war in
Europe. A year ago the people of this
country were Mortified at the butchery
and slaughter daily reported. We were
congratulating ourselves that We were
SO far removed from the struggle. If
the American people had obeyed the
Presidents appeal and observed the
spirit of neutrality in speech we would
not now hear SO much of military pre-
paredness and the policy of getting
ready to fight.
"a portion of the press has taken
sides and the discussion of the war
from biased and partisan standponts
has led to the present situation, SO that
to get us into war with one side in
order to help the other side.
THE preparedness which is now be-
ing advocated not only cultivates the
spirit that leads to war, but it involves
an expenditure which the people will
not submit to unless convinced that
some nation is getting ready to attack
us. and we cannot single out nations
and prepare against them without MAX
ing hatred national policy"
Big Program for Congress.
Notwithstanding the position of Mr..
Bryan and other opponents of military
preparedness, there is belief in Wash
inston today that President Wilson's
next message to Congress probably will
contain a recommendation for a larger
plan for national defense than ever be-
fore placed before that legislative body
and there is also a belief that there is
a fair chance that it also will recon-
mend bond issue to pay for the arma-
ment required.
These statements are made after con-
siderable inquiry and talks with high
government officials in a position to
make authoritative statements. The
question of national defense will be a
paramount issue in the next Congress
and in the next political campaign. 1t
Is related in Washington that in the
west, from which Mr.. Bryan has just
returned, the question of military pre-
paredness is not apparently of great
moment, but nevertheless the White
House mail Is said to contain thou
sands of letters every month giving
private views of citizens on what they
call the all-important subject of a
definite plan for a big national arma-
ment.
1t is even said that the President is
receiving plenty of encouragement in
these letters to go before the country
on a question of a bond issue to paw
for increased preparedness.
What Mr.. Bryan Thinks.
In these circumstances Mr. Bryan's
opinions, because of his high position
in the democratic party, are of gen.
eral interest. and they were expressed
by him today as follows:
Il think the military preparedness
which is being advocated by the Ma
tional Defense League and the Navy
League would provoke war instead Of
preventing it. We cannot have the
preparedness which they are asking
unless We subject ourselves to the lead
ership of the men who believe in it,
and they would not only provoke fu-
ture wars, but they would lead us into
the present war if they could"
Asked as to the Swiss military sys-