New Britain herald., 1915-06-14
DISCUSS MILITARY
 NEEDS OF NATION.
Peace and Preparation Conference
 ConVeneS at New York
MASS MEETING TONIGHT

2 E Col Roosevelt Says Professional Pacl-
 ficists Taken As Whole Are Pro-
 bably Most Undesirable Citizens
 That This Country Contains.
 New York, June 14.Delegates from twenty five states assembled here today in a two day peace and preparation conference. held undet the auspices of the National Secur- ity League, at which Americas mili- tary needs were down on the program for discussion by three former sec- retaries of war, two former secretaries of the navy and other speakers.
 The meeting opened with an ad dress of welcome by City Controller Wm. A. Prendergast and was next ad- dressed by Hudson Maxim, inventor of the gun which bears his name, who concluded his remarks with lette.. from Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, in which Mr. Roosevelt asserted that the prime duty of the nation was to pre- pare itself so that 1t could protect it. self. <.
 Mass Meeting Tonight.
 At tofiight's mass meeting at Car negie hall the speakers are to be Henry l.. Stimson and Jacob M. Dick inson. former secretaries of war; Charles J. Bonaparte, former secre- tary of the navy, and Dr. Lyman fAb- bolt Before the conference closes tomorrow night it will be addfesse by George Von l.. Meyer, former sec retary of the navy and Luke K. Wright. former secretary of war. a
 The letter sent by the conference committee on national defense invit- ing the labor unions to send represen- tatives, said: The two classes that pay for the ravages of war most heavily are the laboring classes and the women of the country Tn the event of our being called upon for the protection of the flag conscrip- tion would be national duty and element in the human bulwark of the labor would constitute an important nation. Wives, sisters and daughters would live to see the annihilation of our unequipped men in the scientific attack of modern war. With a Wests cEganixed. efficient and powerful sys- tenn Of national defense the conscrip- tion and murder of our masses, would not take place." E. Col. Rosevelt's Views. ..
 Theodore Rooseevlts views on arr bitration treaties war, unprepared- ness and pacificists, expressed in a letter written by him under date of June 3 to Hudson Maxim, were to be given the gathering by Hr. Maxim. After referring to letters on unprepar- edness sent MT. Maxim by Oscar Strauss and others. Col. Rosevelt's rnissive continued:
 T was saddened by the extraordin- ary letter sent you by the three young men who purported to speak for the senior class of the college of which \ they are members The course of con- duct which these men and those like s them advocate for the nation would of cours not only mean peculiarly craven avoidance of national duty by our people at this time. but would also inevitably tend permanently to encourage the spirit of individual cowardice no less than of national cowardice.
 Unlovely Body of Men.
 '"The professional pacificists, the
  who during the last five years nave been so active. who have pushed the mischievous all-arbitration treaties at Washington, who have condoned our criminal inactivity as regards Mexi- co and above all as regards the questions raised by the great world war now raging, and who have ap- plauded our abject failure to live up to the obligations imposed upon us as a signatory power of the Hague con- vention are, at best an unlovely body of men, and taken as a whole are probably the most undesirable citi- zens that this country contains.
 "The advocates of pacificism have been preaching poltroonery. Such preaching, if reduced to prac- tice, is ruinous to national character. These men have been doing their best to make us the China of the occident.
 Prepare Ourselve Prime Duty.
 The prime duty for this nation is to prepare itself so that it can pro- tect itself. righteousness must be put before peace. It Is wicked to be neutral between right and wrong: and this statement can be successfully refuted only by men who are pre- pared to hold up Pontius Pilate, the Arch-typical neutral of all time, as worthy of our admiration. An ig- noble peace may be the worst crinc against humanity, and righteous war may represent the greatest service nation can at given moment render to itself and to mankind"
 
 GIVEN SAME ALLOWANCES.
 Verona, Italy, Via, Paris, June IA, rSl.e Tto1Jo syuvatn oay,f