Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-08-12
Entered at the Postotfice at Missouri
Valley, Iowa, as second class matter
Wednesday schautauqua

given Dy MRS. Josephine II
Dominick who is without doubt
one of the best readers and
dialect Interpreters ever heard
on the Chautauqua platform
Her first number was q clever
imitation Of the differet arriv.
ais on a suburban train:-a CIR
of sweet sixteen, a mother with
an inquisitlve child and an Irish
cook, we're admirably taken and
were full of humor. Severa
other selections in the foreign
dialects were heartily enjoyed
Mr. Zimmerman then made
the usual announcements and
Mss Thomas took charge OF
the children after which, Mr..
Lee Francis Lvbarger, the
speaker of the day, was intro.
duced.
"Should America Arm?" was
his subject and the masterful
way in which he presented
facts and figures held his audi
ence in the deepest attention
and greatest interest. This
question was stated to be the
gravest one that has been be.
fore the American people since
the founding OF their republic
and is being asked on every
hand at the present day. The
situation has been somewhat
exlyera5ei as to the lack of
military protection and the ex
penditure minimized by the
press in this country according
to Mr.. Lpbarger.
The U. S. has spent according
to his figures 60 per cent as
much as England on her navy
and England has spent twice as
much as any other foreign ma
tion or as much as any two of
the larger countries In actual
figures our expenditure has
be, n twice that of Germany,
and ahree times that of Japan
and Italy and no one seemed to
think those countries UMPIRE
pared when they entered the
terrible conflict now in progress
In 1914 our Government spent
Sl66, 600, 600 on the armv, $780,
100000 on the navy and $l72,-
600 900 on pensions making q
total of $478,OOO,OOO or more
than was spent by any other so
called civilized nation. Those
who have suggested a larger
armv and navv propose an ex-
penditure of $1,250,00O,OO0 or
Sis per capita which averages
SIS per family.
Mr.. Lybarger questions the
statement of a few that we
have cause of alarm from the
future victorious nation of the
awful European cal nifty and
asks if we believe any one of
those countries will be ready or
able to re-enter war after they
have paid the enormous price
of ruin and bloodshed to win
the present conflict. 1t will
take ages for them to recupe-
rate their people, finances and
their country. The lecturer
also asked if we;thought any one
of those nations had a surplus
army or navy to send over here
to cause us alarm when each
and every one of them seem to
have their hands very full as it
is There will be no joy 10 the
vic or with crepe on every
door and the result will be any
thing but j ,yful and it will not
be- a survival of the fittest, but
a survival of the unfit for all
the men that will be left will
be the diseased, the manned,
the halt and the blind.
Preparation never means
peace but trouble always, and
this is evidently the leading
cane of the var in Europe
wnich is full Of forts II these
Countries had no fo ts, no arms,
m machine guns or cannon
there would b. no war now.
Our long Canadian border,
minus all these things, was
cited as an example of peace.
Where there is preparedness
there is bound to be an explo.
sion.
The foreign trade amounts
to but 5 per cent of what we
use and our exports about the
same, which trade we could
easiIv do without rather than
sacrifice the flower of our land
to a war of elusive causes and
which would mean a backward
step of ], 900 years.
Mr.. Lybarger stated the