Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-06-18
PREPAREDNESS DOCTRINE
Mr.. Bryan Says It Provokes Rather
Than Prevents War.

Asserting that the preparedness
provokes rather than prevents war,
and that the upheaval in Europe was
a result of the false philosophy that
might makes right" former Secre-
tary Bryan on yesterday, in second
of his series of three statements on
The causeless war;" submits an ar
gument against military preparation
by the United States and praises the
course of President Wilson in the IN
ternational emergency.
IF any nation is without excuse 1or
entering into a mad rivalry Win the
belligerent nations in preparation Ior
war IL is the United States" says Mr..
Bryan. I'VE are protected on elther
side by thousands of miles OF ocean
and this protection is worth more W
us than any number OF battlesnlps.
I'VE have an additional protection
in the fact, known to every one, that
we have the men with whom to form
an army of defense If we are ever at
tackled; and it is known also that we
would have the money, too-more
money than we would have if all the
surplus earnings of the people had
been invested in armament. we not
only do not need additional prepara-
ton, but we are fortunate in not
having it, since 1t seems Impossible
for a nation to have what Is caileo
preparedness without having alons
with it a disposition to use It's pre-
paredness on the slightest proVoca-
ton. ..o
.The leading participants in the
nrasant war are the nations that were
best prepared, and / fear 1t Woulo
have been difficult for us to keep OUT
of this war if we had been as Wen
prepared as they. ,,a
Happy for our nation that we have
in the White House at this time
president who believes in setting the
old world a good example lnsteaa
of following the bad example which IL
sets in this matter. What an unspeak-
able misfortune it would nave peeh
if. in such an hour as this the ma
ton had been under the leaoeIsi,lp
of a president influenced by the raise
philosophy which has plunged Europe
into the abyss Of war.
In discussing the cause OF the
European war, Mr.. Bryan, in lengthy
ANALYSIS argues that 1t is no war OIL
race, religion or families, ana oe-
clareS: 49,.
IF I have correctly analysed the
situation, the war is the natural re-
suit of false philosophy. tne
fundamental precept of this faise PM
Iosophy is that might makes right.
Leading up to his argument against
preparation for war by the unlteu
States, Mr.. Bryan says:
1--WE dare not trust the peace OF tne
world to those who spend thelr tlIne
in getting ready for wars that should
never come Half the energy employ
ed in preparing for war would erect
ually prevent war if used in propagat-
ing the principles which make Tor
peace. Instead of preventing war,
preparedness provokes war, because
il is impossible to coerce the people
into bearing the burdens incident TO
continuous and increasing preparation
without cultivating hatred as II II were
q natural virtue. There must be some
one to fear; some other preparing ma
ton that must be represented as plot
ting for war.
How can preparedness prevent war
If all prepare? Each step taken py
one nation toward more complete pre-
paredness excites the other nation 10
additional purchases or new levies, un-
iii all have exhausted their productive
industries and menaced their moral
progress. Ill,
THE doctrine that preparedness Will
prevent war will not stand the test OF
logic and the confiagration in Europe
shows that it fails when tested py
eXDerience"