The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-22

gree OF the army. There are to-day
hut 10000 mobile troops in the United
states. our coast defences are under
manned. Some Of them are not
manned AT all. our National Guard Is
FAR below its paper strength. We
have no army or navy reserve. We
are without Necessary ammunition.
field pieces and equipment. We are
ais without an aviation corps. which
means that 10th the army and the
navy arc without modern eyes to see
the enemy"
And the PLATFORM Of tho society Is
declared TO hc. in short. TO tell the
truth about our d~efenCeless condition:
to say frankly what the Admlnistra-
ton At Washington is doing and also
what II Is not doing: To work for a
careful expenditure Of public moneys
- secure an adequate national de-
fence without the perilS Of milltarism,
and finally, to work for a permanent
International peace
As Is 10 no expected. the society
has declared it's unqualified approval
Of the work done lately in Congress
Icy Congressman Augustus =. Gard
nor, u by others in the same field,
though special care is taken 10 pro-
cain the fact that tho soriety has
n" political affiliations or predictions.
Among the visitors Ia the eNhihi-
ti"H at %? Fifth avenue on one Of the
trSt days that II was opened was
Rear Admiral Bradley 4 Fiskc. L. :. y.
whose statement NJ tho condition Of
the navy made last December before
a Congressional committee, was SO
sensational I'm character and attracted
So much attention from the whole
country, Admiral Fisk took ocCa-
sion when he was there 70 compli.
ment the society highly on its activi-
tics. "You are working along the
right lines" he said. What Is needed
in this country IL 70 show the peo-
pie our utter lack OF defences in a
way that they can understand"
Another visitor was the widow Of
Capt. Thomas p. Galway, who was
injured in the civil war. Mrs. Gal
way presented the society with W.
swords, one captured a. Antietam and
ono captured AT Gettysburg. She also
gave the regulation sash worn by her
husband throughout the war. saying.
These are all | can give YOU to help
make tho exhibit attractive.
The cooperation OF the Special Relief
Society in the exhibition is worthy Of
moro than n merely casual mention.
This IL the we'll known organization Of
women who have interested them
selves 80 largely In the work done In
Z this country toward helping the suf-
fcrers In the present European war.
Realizing as they do the possibility OF
trouble in this country, they have
joined in the work Of rousing public
attention 10 our own necessities, and
are sending 10 the rooms AT 200 Fifth
avenue various exhibits TO show the
part women can take In war times
toward caring for the sick and
wounded and TOWARD amellorating the
condition Of men on active duty.
\ criticism has been made concern
ing the time chosen for opening this
exhibition, and an Urgent objection
was raised against holding 1t at a
time when 80 many influential people
are out Of town, hut the Defence So
Cicty's answer to that is that midsum-
mer is the time when people from all
over the country are in New York,
and that by attracting the attention Of
those visitors 10 the question at issue
influence Can he eXerted on different
communities which It would otherwise
he hard Ia reach.
And this argument has been to some
extent AT least justified by the number
Of who have come in and
declared their intention Of trying to
Interest their neighhors AT home in
what they see and hear on a subject
which they realize Is OF the gravest
import