Evening star., 1915-06-15
Move to Awaken People.

| ihiS bhoNeHiehl, continued Judge
Parker, lis to awaken the people to
the fact that we need protection to
avoid calamity, to show Congress that
the people of this country have de-
| termined to spend a little to preserve
the country for their children and
grandchildren"
DR.. Abbott declared that he was in
| favor of adequate preparedness as a
means OF securing lasting peace
| The people of America" he said.
| desire peace to enable them to go
| on with their business and to perform
| their duties to themselves, the children
and the world. Self-defense is perha ps
the first law of nature. but the highest
! is defense of others. We organize gov
| ernment that the many may protect
the individual. If it fails to do this,
| it fails in it's fundamental duty"
| DR.. Abbott said the people ought to
demand the organization of some coun-
ell which could lay out a policy that
would insure permanent protection to
| the nation.
Joseph H. Choate, honorary president
of the league, in a letter which was
| read at the meeting, said he favored
| preparation against any emergency.
| ITO be prepared for war is one of the
most effectual means of preserving
peace" Mr.. Choate wrote.
For Immediate Preparation.
Immediate preparation for a national
defense adequate to meet any eventual
ity was urged by Henry l.. Stimson.
Secretary of War in the cabinet of
President Taft.
the former Secretary, lies in the fact
that we have SO acted in the past as to
give good reason for believing that
we do not really mean to protect our
rights. The surest way to get into
fight is to use strong language and
then stand with your hands in your
pockets. Is there a man who doubts
that President Wilson's note to Ger
many would receive more attention if
it were known that our navy was in
| readiness and our free people in the
language of Washington, disciplined
and trained to arms"
IF the government of the United
| States is not to omit any act necessary
| to the performance Of its sacred duty, it
stands pledged by this declaration in
| President Wilson's note of May 10 90
| the use of force If Germany persists
| in her attacks upon our citizens travel
! ing on the high seas.
Cites Action of Others.
Under these circumstances, with
matters in this condition, what ought
we, the American people, to do? What
!
| placed in similar situation? On the
news of the invasion of Belgium, the
| republic of Switzerland and the king
! dom of Holland at once mobilized their
| troops and guarded their borders. To-
! day the frontiers of these little coun-
| tries are inviolate, their honor is safe
| and they stand before the nations OF
| the world as having done their utter
most to protect the rights of neu-
I
ent in measure or in kind from that
| which has guided these other neutral
| countries? Is the right which in our
| case has been violated less important
| than the right which in their case was
| only threatened? They were threaten
| ed with trespass upon their territory.
| With us, over one hundred American
| lives have been destroyed on the
| Falaba. the Gulfight and the Lusi-
| tania Assuming that these countries
| acted prudently and wisely in pre-
| pairing to defend their rights by force,
our obligation Is greater than theirs in
proportion, the right which has
been infringed was more sacred than
| their rights Observation-Disclosures
Honor in Jeopardy, He Says.
The honor and safety of the United
States have been put in jeopardy by
the failure of "our public servants to
do their duty in providing adequately
for defense in case of war, said Charles
j. Bona parte, former Attorney General.
He advocated that prompt steps be