The Detroit times., 1915-11-08
A Suggestion to
the Next Congress
~ Or. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. by Frank Crane)

II (Copyrfght, 1915, by Frank Crane)
The legislative programme of the next
session Of congress, rs we gather from
perusal of the public press, includes the
following:
National defense, increase of army and
navy;
Embargo on shipment Of ammunitions;
More tariff, or bond issue;
Philippine independence;
The seamen's bill;
Child labor;
Appropriations;
Prohibition and woman suffrage;
Treaties, including Colombian, Nicara-
guam and Haitian;
Relations with Mexico and the bellig-
erent states Of Europe, and
Averting financial disaster as result
OF the European war.
According to its custom congress will
attack these questions with an eye to
party advantage, looking toward the
presidential campaign next year.
II our national representatives would
like to do something for the United
States, and incidentally for mankind,
they could find an issue big with poten-
tialities.
It is, to propose. and to take meas
ures to inaugurate, some kind Of league
with all the neutral states, that Is, those
not now at war. for the purpose of pre-
venting war, and Of preventing the thing
that causes war, which is national de-
fensive armament.
As for the nations now battling, there
Is no use dealing with them on this sub
ject until they have had their fight out.
You can't argue with mad folk.
All agree that war, particularly an in.
vasion of this country, Is possible and
ought to be guarded against.
The only way the average man can
see to obviate attack upon us, Is to get
ready to resist by arms. The trouble
with this plan is that is has never
worked in the history Of mankind. Why
should we adopt plan that has plunged
Europe into ruin?
The only way any thinking man can
see to prevent war is to substitute armed
internationalism for armed nationalism.
Every intelligent statesman in the world
agrees that eventually this must be done
and that wars will keep coming until it
is done.
1t is the only possible way.
It probably cannot be brought to pass
at once. 1t is big undertaking. But it
can be begun at once. And the logical
nation to begin it is ours.
1t is not "peace" plan. 1t is con.
structive plan to substitute law for an,
archy.
ANY party that will advocate this idea
will win with the American people. We
are not all for peace at any price,; we
are not all for military preparedness"
but we are all, with mighty few excep-
lions, for stable international law, re-
ducing ornaments and insuring the
world against any bandit nations out
break
Said DR.. ]. A. Macdonald, editor Of
the Toronto Globe, the other day, at
banquet of the Japanese-Amerlcan
League in Los Angeles:
"The new note is not nationalism but
internationalism, not independence but
and the goal to which
we must turn our eyes is International
ism. This war revives the old problem
of how nations may live together in
world too small for war;"
Gentlemen of the next congress, why
not take up this problem? Instead OF
arming ourselves to the teeth, why not
undertake the task of leading the world
out of war. and the burdensome pre-
paredness for war, into world govern
ment?
fretful world in awe, T.,
And the kindly earth shall slumber wrapped 10
universal law"