Goldsboro weekly argus., 1915-11-11
for the protection of individual life
and the guarantee of private proper

for the protection of individual life
and the guarantee Of private proper
ty.
But just when it has become possible
to unite in an effort to prevent war We
find a radical difference of opinion as
to how war can be prevented. A prop
aganda is being actively carried oa
which has for it's object the establish
ment of the doctrine that the only way
to preserve peace is to get ready for
war. The exponents of this theory adj
nit that war is horrible thing and
that it should be avoided, but they
contend that the only way to prevent
war is to organize, arm and drill, and
then stand, rifle in hand and finger or
ir-trigger-and preserve the peace
I never expected to hear this theory
advanced after the present war began.
At each session Of Congress, duriag
the past fifteen or twenty years, We
have heard some advocating this doc
and larger army, but their interest
could generally be traced to their bus
| mess connections-they were anxious
/ to furnish the preparedness themsee-
yes and therefore advocates of the
! theory. But when this war broke OFT
1 thought that at least one good would
fcome out of it. namely, that no one
would hereafter stand before an in
! teIIigent audience and argue that pre-
paredness would prevent war. If Wa
could be prevented by preparedness.
there would be no war in Europe to-
day for they have spent a generation
! getting ready for this war. They had
the kindling all ready; all they needed
was a match. When the war broke
out those best prepared went in first
and others followed as they could pre-
pare, and I believe that, if we had
been as we'll prepared as some now
ask us to be, we would be in the wal
today shouting for blood as Justify ai
any of them.
This is so serious matter and i
is so vitality important that we shodlt
prevent war that I beg you to lister
while I present the reasons whici
lead me to believe that the prepar 81
ness which they now propose wouI,
: not only not prevent war, but woult
l actually provoke war-that with tn
l things that necessarily accompany
: preparedness would inevitably lead L
4 into the wars against which they as
!, us to prepare. In the first place W
can not have a period of preparedness
without submitting ourselves to th
: leadership of those who believe in tn
t doctrine that peace rests upon fear
4 that we can only preserve the peac
: by making people afraid of us. Thi
. theory that has led Europe into thi
|, present conflict. And more, if we ar
G to be driven to preparedness by til
& scares that are now being worked III
: we must follow the leadership, not {
e those who advocate moderate pre-
+ paredness, but of those who insist III
Il on extreme preparedness. If we mu:
II prepare little because we are tol
d that one nation may attack US, "
It must prepare more if another grou
o of jingoes warns us against an attac
a Joined in by several nations, and v
e. must go to the very limit if thil
% group pictures an attack in which IL
3 world will combine against US. The
's is no limit to the amount of prepar
lie ton that we shall need if we are
d provide against every imaginary da
:" ger and every possible emergency.
Sc The real question which we ha'
o. to decide is, What shall be our stan
ut ard of honor? Shall it be the Eur
t. pean standard-which is the duelist
III standard-or shall it be standa
ly in keeping with our aspirations al