South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-17

speaker the people of the United
States had never been a peace loving
people, but had always been "as pep
perry as any other, and that now the
country was in the position of a man
with a chip on each shoulder and
with both arms in a sling The talk
OF an international court and an inter-
national army were the result Of fool
ish dreams. he declared, and he point
ed out how in his opinion, such
dreams could not be realized in the
near future and that meanwhile the
nation must be prepared TO protect
herself against nations crossing her
path which might have a smaller
conscience and larger howitzers."
War When Least Expected.
The speaker held that it was all
noisome SANDER, the talk that arma-
ment makers were behind the move
ment for war preparation. War, he
said, came when least expected and as
a matter of fact it was the people of
nation who upheld war. He main
tanned that now ii was the people of
Italy and the people of Greece who
were clamoring for war and he cited
an instance of public demonstration
before a bulletin board in the city Of
Washington, ID. c., at the time of this
of Mexico. 10 show that it was the
people OF this country who were in
favor of war with Mexico at that
time.
Details were gone into to show how
every branch of the United States
army and navy were far inferior TO
the army and navy OF the countries
now at war. These details were taken
from reports of the federal navy
~ md In
mendatiOns to congress for increased
expenditures for the navy and the
army The speaker confined his at
tention largely to the requirements of
the navy and the coast defenses, for
he held that with a strong navy the
country would be safe He maintained
that what slight additional attention
had been given TO the needs of the
national defenses was practically use
less in view of what he considered to
be the needs. This country, he de-
clared, was the only one in the world
which was able to afford large arma-
ments without feeling burdened.
Discusses Law Changes.
J. II. Wilkerson. who spoke on the
subject of changes in the laws of the
country for the purpose of avoiding
possible domestic insurrectiOn, drew
on his knowledge of the law obtained
in the course of his legal career in
Chicago, part of which had been as
United States attorney. He pointed
out that not all wars had been wars
between nations, but that many of the
greatest wars had been civil wars.
The question of law enforcement. he
held. meant more TO the future than
any other domestic question which we
have TO face.
The speaker referred TO the cOndi-
tions arising from the non-enforce-
ment of law as being intolerable and
he said that this condition had be-
come most apparent in the large cities
where there had been failure in the
fundamental principle of government,
namely, that of the protection of life
and property. He declared that some
way must be found whereby the laws
could be enforced for, said he, ALI
our resolving, our hoping, our pray
ing our preaching will not stop the
spread of crime or compel the en-
, forcement of law"
Police Must Get Out of Politics.
He pointed out that one of the most
serious problems faced by cities was
that of the political control OF the
police force. In his opinion there
would never be a proper administTa-
tion OF city affairs until police forces
were taken out of politics and were
made business bureaus such as the
federal revenue or pOstoffice depart
ments. He also pointed out the nee
| essity for taking the judiciary from
under the control of the political boss
The speaker declared also that life
and property could never be ade-
quately protected until the saloon was
put out of business. He said that ne
had never been a prOhibitionist, but
that in his opinion the saloon should
and must go and that within 10 wears
time il would be a thing of the past
in Chicago He was greeted by hearty
applause when he made this state
ment He said that the saloon would
not be put out because of feeling
against the business itself but because
of its part In helping 10 maintain
criminals and unclean politics.