Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-02
Hudson Maxim Misguided.


Maxim Park, Landing p O., n. J.
June 49, 1915.
Editor Kennebec Journal:
In the report to the newspapers of
my speech at the World Peace Foun-
dation Conference at Cornell Univer-
sity, on the evening of the 25th in
slant, someone misauoted me as say
ing that war is good thing. The re-
port has been printed in some news
papers that l said that war is always
beneficial.
l shall appreciate the courtesy if
you will print this letter in order to
give me the opportunity of telling
your readers that l have been falsely
reported.
did not say anything Of the sort.
Why such a false report should be
sent out, your readers must judge for
themselves. IT, however, the peace
at-any price pacifsts can make it ap-
pear that l am such a blood thirsty
militariSt as to pronounce war always
a good thing, then the public, knowing
well that war isl not always a good
thing, will discount what I say about
other things, and pacifists want what
/ say about our needs for national de-
Tense to be DISCOUNTED.
What l did SAY at the Conference
was that 1 was Il peace advocate, aid
that, for the very reason that war is a
bad thing, we should prepare against
war with thu Unnecessary ornaments TO
prevent it.. =
But, l said:alN wars are not bad.
There are good lwars as we'll as bad
wars. Old Mars, l told them has a
dual personality-f-hei is both a Doctor
Jekyll and a MI. Hyde; l told them
that wars of al gression for conquest
and plumber arch bad wars, while wars
for national defense against agrees
sion and plundar are good wars; l
told them that wars for freedom are
good wars; that fmost of the freedom
which this w9rld has enjoyed has
been won bX/such good wars; that
our Americakh Revolution was one Of
those GQo& wars; that wars for free
ing GlaveA are good wars, like our
Our great Civil War.
Every just -minded reader of your
paper will agree with me absolutely
in these conclusions.
presented ten thousand copies of
my book "Defenseless America" to
the students graduating in the Am
erican universities this spring. The
Cornell students received 500 copies of
the work. Consequently, good
many members of the audience had
read the book and were in egreemcn.
with me. More than two thirds Of
the audience were stoutly with Inc.
while about third, who were ultra
pacifists, were In violent disagreement
with me, and tried to break UP the
meeting.
! was allowed so minutes in which
to speak, after which an hour was
set apart for the hecklers to question
me. My utter discontinue had been
expected and predicted. They had
misjudged me, for l always much en-
Joy answering the questions Of heck
ling pacifists.
One lean. lanky fellow concluded lis
questioning with the interrogatory.
had l myself ever fought. I told him
that if he would put on the gloves with
me after the meeting, I would give
him an opportunity of finding out for
himself first-hand. l said that my left
hand being made of steel, and he be-
ing opposed to the mailed fish. rec
commended boxing gloves. The audi
ence roared with laughter.
An ultra -pacifist Chinaman also
made some impairment remarks,
which. together with the remarks Of
the lean one. led the rational memters
Of the audience to move that the
meeting make an apology to :ne. The
ultra -pacifists tried to break up the
meeting by forcing through motion
to adjourn. This failed. and r..iing
vote was called for the apology.
About two thirds of the audience i'm
mediately rose 10 their feet and cheer