Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-11-19
Come, Let Us Reason Together.

Editorial from The BALTIC. Sun.
The New York World has been making
a canvass Of Congressional sentiment with
regard to President Wilson's preparedness
program. and the replies indicate that the
Administration plans will receive the
support Of 81 per cent of the Democratic
Senators and rs per cent. of the Republi-
can Senators. or 20 more than a majority
The replies from the members of the House
of Representatives indicate that the de-
Tense measures will receive 76 per cent
of the votes of the Democrats and IS 1-2
per cent. of the votes Of the Republicans,
or 341 out of total membership Of 435.
The New York Times in a review of South
ern press utterances finds similar encour-
agement for the friends of self-defense.
Common sense in this matter is the best
and only policy. and all that the Admin
istration asks is that Americans will act
with regard to this as they would with re-
spect to any other business proposition.
There are some persons who, through pride
of opinion or visionary idealsm, will stick
to their theories to the last but this class
is comparatively small II the new doc
trine of safety first" has made so much
progress in few months as seems to be
demonstrated by the change in Congress
sional sentiment, we may expect all ex-
cept Missionaries and disappointed political
leaders to come into camp before long.
All that is necessary to bring about this
result is for intelligent and practical peo-
pie to study this subject for themselves.
The advocates of preparation are not try
ing to fool their countrymen they are
trying to save them. And if they are not
saved. it will be due to invincible obsti-
macy or invincible ignorance.
One thing is certain. There is logically
no middle ground between adequate pro-
vision against obvious danger and no pro-
vision at all. If we are to trust simply to
pacific policy and to International good
will for our protection, why should we have
single battleship or single regiment I
Why not disband the army entirely, make
it penitentiary offense to carry even a
cat-and-rat rife and turn our warships
into excursion boats AS long as we have
even small fleet or a small army, we run
the risk Of exciting the suspicious and
hurting the feelings of other nations. The
position of the little army and navy peo-
pie is. of course. inconsistent. They pro-
fessed to be actuated by the law of love
and yet still cling to the law of force to
limited extent-not sufficiently to do us
any good or a strong enemy any harm. but
sufficiently to give the lie to their peace
theories without creating respect for us
abroad or sense of security at home. II
we are bound to make fools of ourselves
let us at least be logical fools and save
the money which we waste on small
feet and dwarf army. Let us either carry
out the theory Of the other cheek to it
logical conclusion and get ready to submit
to the divine right Of kings and emperor,
who believe in the fieshly arm. or let III
get ready to give good account of our
selves If attacked. The Lord still reigns il
His heaven, but the devil still mixes activel!
in the affairs of men, and he usually de
YOURS those nations which are not on the
guard.