Evening star., 1915-11-05
SPIRIT OF CHRISTIANITY
CHALLENGED, HIS VIEW
Read Executives Speech With Sor-
row and Concern, Declares Former
Secretary of State.
ISSUES FORMAL STATEMENT
Ayers There Has Not Been a Time
in Fifty Years When There Was
Less Reason to Add to Ex-
penses of Army and
Navy.

Former Secretary Bryan came
out squarely against President
Wilson's national defense plan to-
day in a formal statement in which
he took issue with the President s
views as expressed last night be-
fore the Manhattan Club in New
York.
"a departure from our tradi-
tions, a reversal OF our national
policy, menace to our peace and
safety and challenge to the
spirit of Christianity which
teaches us to influence others by
example rather than by exciting
fear" is Mr.. Bryans view OF the
national defense plan.
Opening Gun of Fight.
The former Secretary Of States state
ment, which reiterates views he has
previously expressed on the subject Of
preparedness for war, was regarded as
the opening gun IN the fight which ad'
ministration leaders expect in Congress
against adoption of the plan. Mr.. Bryan:
statement says:
"I have read the Presidents speech a
New York with sorrow and concern. HI
&c what ha believes he his llltv
and SO long as a man follows his con
science and judgment we cannot critlcis'
his motives. but we may be compelled tt
dissent from his conclusions. L feel i
my duty to dissent. and. as he has giver
his views with clearness and emphasis
those who differ from him are under {
like obligation to express themselves witt
equal clearness.
He says that his position is differen
from that of the private individual IL
that the individual is free to speak hi:
own thoughts and risk his own opinion
This sentence is a little obscure. II
so far as he expresses his own opinion
he does not differ from the private citi'
zen except that he speaks under sense
of official responsibility, but where {
nations fate is involved in a policy
every private citizen who loves hi:
country and tries to serve 1T is con-
scious of responsibility. The President
will not assume that he is more deeply
than the millions who elected him te
be, for the time being, their spokes-
man. And if, as he evidently believes
he is giving voice to the opinions OF
his countrymen, he is. of course, anXiou:
to have them as frank with him as he
has been with them-how otherwise
can he know whether he represents OF
misrepresents their views.
Has Established Precedent.
He has announced a policy which has
never before been adopted in this coun-
try and never indorsed by any party ir
the country, and he has no way OF
knowing, until he hears from the peo-
pie, whether he has correctly inter-
preted the will of the public. His ap-
peal is not to any party, but, as he
says, to men of all shades of opinion.
He asks for the hearty support of the
country, meaning, of course, that he
wants the support, provided the people
favor the policy which he has outlined
He could not, of course, ask them te
support a policy which they did not in.
dorse. especially if they considered the
policy dangerous to the country.
From my view of the subject the
plan which he proposes is not only a
departure from our traditions. but a
reversal OI our HdllOndl policy. II Is
not only a menace to our peace and
safety, but a challenge to the spirit
of Christianity, which teaches to in
fiuence others by example rather than
by exciting fear.
THE President says that we should
be prepared not for aggression, but foI
defense That is the ground upon
which all preparation for war is made
What nation has ever prepared for wal
on the theory that it was preparing for
aggression? 1t is only fair to assume
that the European rulers who are in
volved in the present war thought that
they were contributing toward the
of peace when they Were
making ella aborate preparations for de-
Tense 1t is a false philosophy, and, be-
ing false, it inevitably leads into diff
culties. The spirit that makes the indi-
vidual carry a revolver-and whoever
carries revolver, except for defense?-
leads him not only to use it on slight
but to use language which
provokes trouble: Speak softly. but
maxims employed by those who put
their faith in force.
There are two answers to t-frst,
the man who speaks softly has not the
disposition to carry club and if a
man with a soft voice is persuaded to
carry a club his voice changes soon
as he begins to rely upon the club.
"Why Reverse Our Policyp"
IF there is any truth in our religion,
a nation must win respect as an in
diyidual does, not by carrying arms but
by an upright. honorable course that
invites confidence and insures good
will This nation has won it's position
in the world without resorting to the
habit of toting a pistol or carrying a
club. Why reverse our policy at this
time? The President himself admits
that there is no reason for change.
sThe country is not threatened from
apv quarter; she stands in friendly re-
lation with all the world. Her re-
sources and her self-respect and ca
ma city to care for her own citizens and
fights are we'll known And to make
the statement more emphatic he adds:
There is no fear among u.s.
IF we're not threatened by any ma
cI;ontinued on Second Pagsl