Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-06-05
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The Beautiful Consistency of Unpre-
paredness.


paredness
To the Editor: In recent conver-
sation with a gentleman of good attain
ments, and good intentions as well, he
informed me that the present European
military contest now taking place would
prove the last on earth. "That we ad-
vocate the theory of unpreparedness
with perfect safety, because, when that
war is over the participants and the
world of humanity il general would be
so overcome with grief and remorse at
the universal wreckage, as to render
warfare impossible ever after. That
our very unpreparedness would be an
irresistible appeal and protection from
all possible assaults. That so long as
we maintain a state of military prepar-
edness it would cause the development
Of warlike spirit M the part of our
nation, and be construed as standing
challenge to other nations, and thereby
increase the danger of conflict The
thought seems to be, tnat the owner
of firearms, individual or national, in
consequence OF such ownership, be-
comes obsessed with an uncomfortable
desire to pitch into somebody-that
they just naturally have to fight, whe,
ther there is anything to fight about or
not, and you can't stop them-all of
which might be consistent enough if
we assume in the outset that humanity
is devoid of common sense,
In seeking to remedy human misfor-
tunes, it is always better to seek for
the real fundamental causes out of
which they spring Human Ego)-
selfmadulterated selfishness to the
limit of insanity--the war lords, the
crowned heads the rulers of men, the
study of whose mental mecnanicisms
which are ever strained to the utmost
to despoil neighboring nations of part
Of their domains to add to their own
securing matters Of trade by tying W
the facilities Of their neighbors, by
seeking by every diplomatic means
which the selfish human instinct ear
devise to secure every possible ad'
vantage looking to the interests of then
nation and their people by fair means
or fol, This explains why duplicity
and deceit, in the hands of Il success
full manipulation, creates great diplo
mat, the idol of his country. 1T fur
ther explains why more often thar
otherwise the Devil is in the ascendant
How imbecile spineless and pusillani
nous, must any one calling himself al
American citizen be, who falsely
claiming red blood in his veins, goo
about shouting for pitiful, shameful
surrender in advance. The pitiful ad
vOcate of surrender in advance, in TIT
/ interest Of peace, through the nationa
policy Of unpreparedness, ought to con
template poor old God-forbdden Chini
with its four hundred millions of peo
pie, with pure delight, 1t is the Pa
1 tron Saint of the contemplate dogmi
Of unpreparedness, and at the sam
time the football Of the nations.
1t should be kept wildly in mind b,
every unquestionable American, in thi
connection, that in every war in whicl
the United States has been engaged W
nave enormously increased our exper
diture of blood and treasure throug
unpreparedness. TO ignore this fac
and fail to profit by it, is not the ac
Of an American citizen worthy Of tn
name. o, but ! am opposed to war
declares Mr.. Oracle, as though tina
settled the matter. Well, so am
am also opposed to the assaults o
hyenas, man.eating tigers and vista
tions Of the plague, and believe it col
sistent with prudence and the fulfil
ment of our duty as American citizens
to guard against destructive vistation
These, and every other danger to- on
nation and fellow citizens.
Every person of intelligence is bt
coming more and more cognizant of th
fact that our nation may be, and prol
ably is, approaching an epoch in on
history of omnous import, Our pres
dent ranks high as a patriotic state
man and diplomat. He has eXhauste
every resource at his command to lea
our nation in the paths of peace. W
are coming dangerously near the par
ing of the ways. His burden must /
great indeed He is entitled to I'll
| endorsement of every citizen, antive {
foreign born, who ever knew a pt
triotic impulse. 1t is not time II
back'pedaling, In the language Of Sci
! ator lackburn Of Kentucky: "He wi
{ dallies is Il bastard, and he who doub
I is damned" (or ought to be),
Y w. A. G..