Evening star., 1915-05-20
FOR STRENGTHENING
NATIONAL DEFENSES
Secretary Garrison Discusses
Armament Question at Lake
Mohonk Conference.

| MoHONK LAKE. n. Y, May 20.-The
| problem of ornaments. which has
| evoked more discussion than any other
question before the Lake Mohonk con-
| ference on international arbitration,
! was brought to the front again today
| by an address of Secretary Garrison of
the War Department. The Secretary S
| topic was The Problem of National
| Defense"
/ To deliver the address, he made a
hasty trip from Washington, using
| train, automobile and blackboard to
reach this retreat in the Shawangunk
mountains. He departed Immediately
after speaking SO that he might reach
meeting tomorrow.
Mr. GarrisonS address was not so
pronounced as that delivered yesterday
by President Hibben of Princeton along
doubt of the fact that he favored
Strengthening the national defenses
and making the United States ready to
protect itself from any and all aggres-
sion.
Il am utterly out of sympathy" he
declared, with the idea that we should
neglect OF postpone consideration of
what is now the existing condition, be-
/ cause of a hope or a belief or even
conviction that it may be altered even
| radically altered in the future.
Isolation Only Geographical.
Our isolation" he continued, lis
geographical only. Modern conditions
have caused the interests of nations to
be correlated as those of families
who have intermarried The interests
of many of the large nations today are
| inextricably interviewer with those of
some or all of the others.
"Self-respect requires that we should
be prepared to protect that which we
cherish, which not only includes our
material possessions, but that intangi-
BILE something which makes us dis
tinctive nation in the eyes Of the
world"
Il can aad do entirely sympathize
with every sane and sensible movement
which tends to abolish conflict and to
insure peace" said Secretary Garrison,
but l am utterly out of sympathy with
the idea that We should neglect OF
the existing condition, because of a
hope or belief or even conviction that
it may be altered. even radically al
tered. in the future"
Such a great epochal event as the es-
tablishment of an international tri-
bunal or the limitation of armament,
Mr. Garrison said. could be brought
about only by those who are strong,
courageous. self-respecting and right
eous; by those who look facts fear
lessly in the face and act accordingly:
by those whose conduct is guided by
reason and judgment" Ii we are a ma
tion possessing these characteristics.
he declared then We will fearlessly
and courageously take up the present
problem which it is our duty to deter
mine. and will determine it properly
and be prepared In the proper way and
with the proper spirit for what may
come hereafter.
! The Secretary made no direct refer
ence to the present European conflict
He said that he purposely refrained
from discussing the defense policy
which should be adopted and the details
which must be carried out to make
that policy effective. He urged his au-
dience not to shrink from consideration
of the problem and not to permit
themselves to be diverted by terms of
opprobium" "AIlitarism," he said. SIS
| used as term of reproach to divert
| proper consideration of what must be
considered if the subject is to be con-
siGered at all.
Warm Debate on Armament.
| Then followed a warm debate on
armament between Secretary Garrison
| and Gen. Leonard Wood on the one
| side and Norman Angel of New York
on the other. Mr.. Angel. who is one
| of the foremost advocates of disarma-
nent and who recently returned from
! hospital service in the war zone, de-
clared that words of the Secretary of
| War and the former chief of staff of
the. army urging the United States to
| make greater military preparations
| were precisely the speeches he had
heard so many times in Germany"
Gen. Wood spoke after the Secretary
| OF War had finished plea for more
adequate armament
I'VE soldiers and sailors" said Gen.
| Wood. ARE merely your trained serv-
| ants. You create wars. we try to ter
inmate them. Nine out of ten wars
| are based on trade. The trouble with
| they do not look conditions in the face.
| We must not delude ourselves that our
| geographical remoteness has made us
| safe.
Danger of Invasion Increased.
| Improved methods of transport, he
asserted. have increased the danger OF
invasion. This is one of the great
causes of armament this and the
greater efficiency Of implements of war
| When we have ceased to fight for our
! be worthy to exist a nation. 1t is
| murder for you to send your boys to
| war unframed. when it is possible to
train them All We soldiers and sailors
want is that you give us a reasonable
degree of preparation. 80 when your
| boys come to us to fight the sacrifice
! may be as light as possible"
/ Mr.. Angel fairly ran to the speakers
| stand to make his reply.
| Nowhere would those speeches have
been 50 welcome as in Germany" he
cried. He declared that increased arma :
ments offered no solution of the peace
problem. Here are two nations anxious
to keep the peace by each being
stronger than the other. This is an inn
possible situation. do not believe that
this will be the war that will end war.
The mere piling up of American arma :
ment will not help the problem. OBJ
viously the militaristic solution-of
being stronger than the other man
has failed Do not let US make the
same mistake as the nations Of Eu-
rope"
This ended the debate, and the con.
ference session adjourned In q buzz Of
excited comment