The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-06-11
PREPAREDNESS.

preparedness whid-. fits a man for the
world to come; but kind of pre-
paredness, the basis of which is the
most important issue which the Unit
ed States faces today. And tais is the
preparedness of this country to re-
sist sudden attack-the preparedness
for war.
Yes, l realize that all of us are sick
of war. 1 know you do not wish a
war talk; and l do not want to talk
war. But, as l nave stated, the most
serious of all national questions to-
day is care We prepared" Are we
prepared to successfully defend Amer
lean liberty and all tat American
liberty staDis for? Are We prepared
to safeguard American homes from
the ,ravages of war-to protect the
lives of innocent women and children ?
I am not going to expound any new
doctrines this morning, or bring forth
new theory. Any school boy could
get up here and say tie same thing
that l will say, and perhaps do it bet
ter. But, I feel that 1, an American
citizen, who loves the Stars and
Stripes as mud3, as any man cam
feel that if l shall leave a thought
with you this morning-be an inspira-
ton, as it were. for just one of you
to help this country to get on the right
track, the two thousand miles which I
have travelled to deliver this talk will
have been repaid.
l am not going to take the present
European struggle for basis upon
which to talk. l am going back far
ther than that, and l am coming closer
home. Some months ago-weeks be-
fore the present world war-an army
of the United States of America in
vaded a neighboring State-Mexico.
After bombardment of the most con-
siderable port of that nation, and af-
ter having lost tie lives of seventeen
American marines-entered Vera Cruz
and took possession of it. The rea-
son for this most amazing military
expedition in the history of this coun-
try is supplied by President Wilson
himself, who said at tie time:
''We are in Mexico to serve man
kind if We can find way
say to you that when a nation is
in the hands of rulers, eiU2er elected
or enthroned, who, without formal
declaration of war-without satisfying
the requirements of common interna-
tional law-when that nation does not
hesitate to invade neighboring State,
is it unreasonable to inquire as to the
supplies, ammunition and other in
cidentals of war-making possessed by
the army and navy of such a nation
And, at this time, there were such
Inquiries. There was demand from
American citizens for an official report
on tie naval and military strength of
this country. And at the same time,
there came protests from earnest wei
fare workers, ministers, college pro-
fessors and college presidents, if you
please upon such an investigation.
Why?
Because, these men said: prepared
ness is not guarantee Of peace.
In the same breath ask you: When
was unpreparedness a guarantee
against war?
Have any of you forgotten 1898?
Never in the history of the world
was nation more unprepared for war
than was this country in 1898. Our
army and our navy had been neglected
for thirty-t.ree years. But did this
unpreparedness delay the declaration
of war one instant? Did this unpre-
paredness delay actual hostilities one
hour?
Seventeen years ago, hundreds, yes
thousands of lives of the flower of this
nation were lost because of unpre-
paredness. You know the story. In
battle and out of battle these brave
boys died because the country over
which foated the Stars and Stripes,
the nation which guarantees life and
liberty, the nation for which they
fought and died-this nation had been
negligent in those things which make
for the defense of the nation-which
guarantee daat the integrity of the
nation shall be preserved.
But, some people tell US that things
are, different now-that the United
States will never have another war.
Therefore, they say that there is no
use to prepare for or against war.