The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-10-22
The War a Draw?

There are accumulatlng lnulca'
lions that the war In Europe is near
err an end than the world supposes
When IT ends 1t will be draw. Each
nation engaged will come our OF 1t
bloody and nearly or quite exhausted
financially. Each will have lost an
appalling number of the most lit
physically. Vast areas of country
will have been desolated and in near
ly every household of each OF the war
ring nations there will be the voice
of mourning for the dead. Taxation
in all these countries will be so In
creased that 1t would seem impossible
that the burden can be borne. And
what will any country among all have
gained? This war was the result OF
preparedness. Germany was the lest
prepared. Methodically, for a gener-
alton, that nation has been making
preparation for just such a contest.
But the other nations operated on
the same theory that 1t was necessary
to prepare for war. The lime came
when the rulers OF Germany believed
that they were well enough prepared
with the assistance OF their ally, Aus
tria, and their supposed ally, Italy,
TO conquer the rest Of Europe. They
went on the logical theory that pre-
paration for war must bring war, and
that II they waited the other nations
might bring their preparations to a
stage where they would be- able to
conquer Germany.
Their logical conclusion was that
1t was wise to forestall this possible
condition of preparedness by attacking
before 1t could be brought about.
So Germany suggested to Austria that
now was the time to start the newt
able conflict.
Suppose that the other European
nations had adopted the opposite
theory. Suppose they had frankly
81 ated TO the world that they intend
ed TO disband their armies and dis
mantle their war ships and then had
actually done so, what would the eff
feet have beenl
Ex-President Roosevelt would say
that immediately Germany would
have overrun her neighbors and
brought them under her domin-
ion, l think that exactly the OPP
poslte would have resulted, The
German people have been induced TO
bear the burden OF vast standing
army and compulsory service because
they we're made to believe that the
army was necessary to protect the
Fatherland from the aggressions OF
her nelghbors, But IL the other ma
lions we're disarmed the German peo-
pie would have seen that the claim
that Germany had to keep a vast
army for protection was absurd. And
soon the German people would de.
mand that they too be relieved from
the military burden. II France,
Great Britain and Russia had dis
banded their armies and navies the
horrors of this war would have been
averted.
Ten million young men would have
been saved to productive industry.
There Is not an argument that can
be made in favor OF military pre-
paredness on the part of the nation
that cannot be made with greater
force in favor OF Individual armament
A vast proportion of this country is
necessarily without police protection
Even in the cities where the police
force is supposed to be adequate,
there is large part OF the city'where
a policeman is seldom seen and high
waymen are liable to attack the de-
fenseless citizen.
According to the logic Of Roosevelt
every citizen should be so well armed
and prepared that no footpad would
dare attack him and this state of uni
versal preparedness would insure the
safety OF the citizens, Experience
has taught, however, that the gener-
al carrying of arms does not tend to
prevent disturbance or insure the
peace and quiet of the community.