The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-20
DEFENCE OPPOSED
BY HELEN KELLER
Blind Girl. In Labor Forum
Speech. Attacks Presidents
Plan for Preparedness.
WANTS NONE TO ENLIST

80 hth W Nv W. "
wonderful example Of patience and
courageous determination. spoke before
the Labor Forum In h Washington
Irving High School last night as an OPP
ponent Of militarism-even of prepared.
ness for war. Some of the things she
aid in her enthusiasm for the pacihst
cause sounded %curiously incongruous
seemed oddly at variance with the gen.
tleness Of the woman. the sweet fixed
smile tina Ii 80 marked u characteristic
Of her.
She said. for example. nat President
Wilson appeared intent upon overthrow
Ing the soundest traditions OF the re-
public and that III the President had
made IN 1913 such demands for pre-
paredness as he was making now there
would have been talk of putting hin INTO
a lunatic asylum" She urged working
men to refuse to join the army-that Is
to be organised through the efforts Of
the President and Congress-and added
tbs ever II the ountr was conquered
by a foreign foe tho work!ngmen could
not be worse off han they are now.
Policemen Hold Hack CrOwd.
There were at least 1900 persons in
the auditorium of the high school and
500 others failed to get In. BY $ r.. NJ.
the Jam at the doors OF the school at
Irving place and Seventeenth street was
so large and the efforts of the crowd
to storm a way into the building were
so insistent that three policemen were
sent for. Much of the interest shown
was due, probably. to the personality OF
Miss Keller and to the general desire
to see her. to know how clearly she mas
learned to articulate.
She went upon the stage accompanied
| by Mrs. John a. Macy. her teacher. who
! took charge of her when she was six
years and eight months old and VINO
! taught her to see and hear through the
, sense of touch and, finally. 10 speak
almost as distinctly As one whose facul-
| ties have been perfectly normal. AT
the age Of -. Helen Keller Is an en-
| ceedinsly healthy and comely woman.
, She weighs about $50 y unds. Last
night she wore "a white shirtwaist. black
skirt, commousense black shoes and "A
! wide brimmed black hat
Mrs. Rose Pastor Stokes. who presided
at last nights meeting, MIS-.
| Macy, the teacher. first. and then Miss
! Keller. Mrs. Macy, who was Miss Sui
Ivan in the years she was teaching
| Helen Keller. described the long. Diff
cult task OF making the deaf and blind
xirl comprehend all of the things that
children of unimpaired faculties under
| stand almost fr m the beginning OF their
lives. explained how swiftly the r'rl
grasped the fundamentals and how mar
yellously she had developed her mind.
Then Miss Keller was led forward.
Crittci.-s Presidents stand.
1: was noticeable. at once that while
/ .,,a .xtg.,l.s.J uifh lvNp..t distinct mass
there was, nevertheless, "A curiously me
chanical note throughout her speech
and at times. though l~nfreQuently. Lef
speech became jerky and hating. Few
persons in tho big hall had difficulty
though. TN understanding what she said
Hr- topic was "Mili'a"ism and the
Workers
This Christmas week she began,
',t Is treason Throughout half the Chris
tan world 10 name the thing that
above all others, Christ represents tc
us. Prayers for victory take the place
Of prayers for peace and good vii
among men. Hymns OF hate viii be
heard instead of Christmas carols
Then she criticised the course taker
by President Wilson and said that I'll.
minds I Americans must have been ne
d-vill.d by the war abroad, ~ congress
was preparing TO carry On wal as 4
rlanS to carry on the work OF IN. pos
office" She argued that history prove,
the futillty of all wars and that fight
INK merely laid upon the backs OF tn,
working people en- rmous burdens un'
der which they had to Stagger FOR gen
erstions.
."Th. useless burden Of war AWAY
falls heaviest upon the mass ~ III" poo
pie said Mis- Keller. ~ ht|i~ vas
numbers Of men that build. dig reap
plough and feed tho world. They do no
know why they are sent 10 die. They
suffer al ~ the miserics of war whit
their rulers reap all Of the reward
Their wages have not been raised, 'hei'
tot, made lighter or their homes mad'
more decent.
When they ran no longer boa 'h'
misery caused hv small pay. hong hours
and uncertain employment they e. oI
strike. Then the patriotic capitalist
send the militia II even troops -
crush them. And on top of thai thcN
arc asked 20 join the militia and tn
army to fight for liberty they have
never known. Schools and all sorts o
organizations are turned to the purpose
Of the war makers.
Let no wurkingrnan join the ARM
that Is To be urgaiiized h. order OF Con
greSs, As President Wilson pointed ol
N hts message, thdt army will dct'u'
the Interests oi fNc capitalists. II " "a!
army that can he used 10 break strike
AS we'll as Ia defend tn" people. lrr
do not want that kind OF preparedness
do YOU? II the democratic measures c
preparedness fall before the advance OF
. world empire, tho workinginan has moth
ing TO fear. No ConQueror will hea
down his wages and wreck his union
more ruthiessly han his own fellow cit
. zens OF the capitalist class are doiul
; Nor will u union of the capitalists OF III
: world be able to opprsss him more tlia
the masters OF his own country nay
: done. The worker has nothing to los
hut hi3 chaius and he has a world t
: win. He can win it AL NJ once froi
: a world empire.
+ Let them call u traitors and bar
tie our international association Wit
fire and steel. II shall court death rath,
than surrender Ia ruin"u patriotism
There IL Il place in he world to-day Il
a a defiant union of all workers to destru
TIN, war Of tine trenches and to end II
n paying Of tribute by tho workers OF Ii
d world
y Miss Keller believed that Henry Ford
mission would fail because Ford ht
q longs to the same class az the diplomat
and politicians that made the war, an
nothing will come of his plan hecau'
, he won't use the only means to max
II a success. get the soldiers thenselv,
10 quit tighting.'