The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-12-17
vARDAMANs ARRANGEMENT OF PRESIDENT WILSON

Vardaman's prepared "interview" which he gave to the press a
lew days after President Wilson delivered his message to Congress
furnished excellent thunder for the Republicans and will no doubt
be used by that party as campaign document next year to fight the
Democrats in an effort to put another Republican President in the
White House.
Like almost all of Mr.. Vardaman's utterances, the statement is
absolutely illogical; it has neither width or depth and is chiefly re-
markable for its length and for its fury.
In the opening paragraph the Senator wanders off into space
and shows that his capacity for the invisible is no less wanting than
his capacity for the visible. Figures and dollar marks have always
oiven the Senator a sort of mental alteration. He predicts" that
within less than twenty years the expense of a standing army and
navy" together with expenses incurred in past wars will cost no
less than $50 per capita" When we think of the enormiy of the
Senator'S prediction, two billion six hundred million dollars, why
- realize that "he does not know the thinness of the ice upon
which he skateth or the depths of the waters beneath the ice. His
figures are absurd. He talks of rushing into the preparedness
business He knows, or at least should know, that it takes months
and years to construct a battleship and he should also know, what
any ordinary mortal does know, that it takes months to muster in
md equip an army. Suppose, for instance, that Germany, Austria
Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey-the countries that are united on one
side of the present great war in Europe-should decide to attack
me United States-it takes now only about eight days to cross the
ocean, it can therefore be easily seen that these countries, with their
battleships and merchant marine vessels, could transport an army of
one half million men over here within 90 days, and We would have
only an organized army of 100000 men to oppose them. 1t IS true
hat we would soon get ready. but let's stop to consider the loss Of
Cur men and the destruction Of property while we were getting
teady"
Granting for the sake of the moment that President Wilson's
position on war preparations is not what ii was one year ago-but
IN truth there IS nothing IN the vide world IN the President 5 posi-
non as outlined in his message TO Congress in December, 1914, that
in the light Of present events does not harmonic with his position
today-undoubtedly the President has learned something, whether
Mr.. Var laman has or not, from the blood and carnage now going on
IN Europe, and as the head of this Nation the people expect, they
have a right to demand, that he give them the benefit of that ex-
perence.
The Senator is grossly in error in thinking that The people of
Mississippi are not with President Wilson in his desire to protect
the lives, the homes and the property OF oar people against foreign
aggression.
The President has shown by his attitude toward Mexico
that he is not a warmaking President; he has shown the same
thing in his efforts and success in preserving the neutrality Of this
country As regards the present war, hence it can not be justly and
t1uthfuly urged that he is a believer in blood and thunder. He is
= essen of peace and a believer in peace.
The Senator acknowledged vanity and pompousness nc doubt
leads him to say, all sorts of schemes are being devised to mislead
the people and obscure the truth" To him aud him alone belongs
whatever honor ~ can be got for "obscuring the truth and midead-
ing the people Of Mississippi nobody would dare compete ~nh
him in that field.
Roosevelt is also out in a vicious attack on the President, b,
he attacks from another angle. The attacks of the two men are
working to the same end.
The South is prosperous and will periodically bear its part of
the cost of whatever war preparations the united wisdom Of Con
gress says is necessary.
The loyal Democrats OF Mississippi art willing for Mr. Varda-
man to have whatever glory that the Republicans give him for his
assault on the President. If is Mr.. Nardamans idea of loyalty TO
the South to have his attack upon the only Democrat President,
save one, that the country has had in s. years printed in the Re-
publican newspapers of the North under glazing headlines. the
sooner it is known among his people the better ii is tor them
fit COMFORTS with Mr.. Vardaman's idea of devotion to the cause
Of his own people to have what he says about President Wilson
printed in Washington newspapers under five story headings and his
reference to the President referred to a "scathing language" then
the sooner it is learned down here in Mississippi that the loyalty to
party that he used to preach for somebody else he is unwilling to
live by, the better it is for the people of Mississippi.
The Senators "interview" appears on the first page of The Sen.
,inel. Read it and take your own measurement of It's author.
q who passed to the beyond at his home in Jackson last Monday
will deeply regret his untmely demise. He was an ornament to his