The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-24

sas City II. A. Long is the honorary
chairman. while the active chairman
ship has been taken by Irwin IL. Kirk
wood NJ the Kansas City star. The
Kansas City membership U especially
active.
The interest in Illinois concerning
national defence Is remarkable. The
'eague has on file at it's headquarters
hero more than n dozen letters from
III Nois Congressman taking strong
ground for preparedness, and recently
United States Senator James Hamilton
Lewis, who is the Democratic whip in
the Senate. delivered n speech In which
he declared emphatically for complete
protection against attack.
THE branch OF the league in Chi
cago, headed by ex-Secretary OF War
jacob NJ. Dickinson, has a membership
of over three thousand, and recently
held n great mass meeting in Orches-
ira Hall. The first honorary vice
chairman Of the Chicago branch IL
Congressman George Edmund Foes.
formerly chairman of the House CoIn-
mittee on Naval Affairs, while the
second honorary vice-chairman is
Charles l.. Dering, president Of the
Chamber of Commerce. President Jud-
son II the University of Chicago is a
member OF this branch.
ON the South and Southwest the
league has been successful In arousing
public interest in the establishment Of
branches at Little Rock, Ark: Bir-
mingham. Ala; Memphis and Chat
NO.. 1E.,, Sas tAtI. srAy
and Richmond and Norfolk. Va. Each
Of these cities has beef made the CEN
trail point for the distribution of lit
erature demonstrating u unpre-
p%drcdness in the matter Of national
defence and in the effort to arouse
public sentiment leading newspapers
like the birmingham Age Hcrdid have
been of great assistance. EN-ScCrc-
tary Of War Luke T.. Wright Is the
head of the branch in Memphis, with
the Rev. Thomas +. Gailor. Bishop Of
Tennessee, enrolled az a member.
Naturally the interest for pre-
p~aredness in Norfolk and Richmond is
very great and in both cities the MEM
belship includes representative citi-
zens irrespective of political parties.
Taken az q whole, however, the indif-
ference Of the southern section in the
matter of adequate national defence
has been quite marked and our map
shows no organizations III Georgia,
North Carolina, South Carolina,
Louisiana or Mississippi Every ef-
| fort Is now being made TO remedy
this condition.
There is a broad belt on our map,
from Idaho down to Texas. wherein
little progress seems to have been
made for the cause Of national de-
fence. one reason for this is that
! the States Of Idaho, Montana. Utah
wyoming. Colorado. Nevada New
Mexico and Arizona de- not send Ia
/, Congress ~ many representatives rs
! are elected in New York city alone
SO that the entire fourteen votes of
these eight States could hardly az
feet any result. At the same time. az
the campaign is nationwide. the work
Of arousing public sentiment in these
States * in progress, with considerable
sentiment already manifested in the
border states of Arizona and New
Mexico on account OF their proximity
to Mexico.
with a long line Of exposed sea
coast, California realizes tho absolute
necessity of protection. In addition
to the branches of the National Sc
curity League in that state, there s.
"A Pacific Coast Defence League. which
has undertaken to see that the SenJ-
tors and Represen,a lives from the
coast will give increased military ant
naval protection to California. Wash
: ington and oregon. The feeling in
this direction is SO strong that tn.
votes in Congress from the pacif,
coast may already ~ counted on tc
support any plans which may I've sub.
mi;ted, provided that these plans are
fully adequate for defence.
II have thus given as cOnCisely a.
possible and with much regretted
/ omissions a birdseye view OF the
nationwide compaign which the leagu,
is conducting. In addition TO tn,
branches which have been specified W,
have members in every State in III,
Union and dozens of cities where, IL W.
had the field force. We could organize
the ten or more members who are en-
rolled. our work has been greatly
handicapped by the fact that the
task Of arousing a nation is AN cN-
pcnsive one and there has been NJ
time when the treasury of the league
has been supplied with funds fully
adequate for the work which it has
in hand.
Both the country and the Congress
must eventually realize that pre-
paredncss is the best possible peace
Insurance, and that II We want to
preserve our ideals, Our independence
our territorial integrity and our COM
merCial supremacy We must he ready
10 defend ourselves against the
world"