Arizona republican., 1915-05-19
COLLEGE MEN
 TALK QUESTION
 OF ARMAMENT
To Prepare for War or to Disarln, Debated by Able Speakers at First Dinner of New University Club of Phoenix

Whether the United States should
 prepare for war, or pursue a policy
 of disarmament was the question
 that occupied sixty members of the
 new University club of Phoenix at
 the first social meeting of the or
 ganization at the Country club last
 evening The discussion, which fol-
 lowed a splendid dinner, was led by
 Judge Joseph H. Kibbey and Dean Scarlett, who took opposite sides of
 the question. Bishop Atwood, presi-
 dent of the club presided, and after
 a witty address. introduced Judge
 Kibbey as the first speaker on the
 program.
 Judge Kibbey in the beginning de-
 fned the word ''militarism" 10 be
 that policy of government which
 made the civil authority subordin
 ate to the military and incidentally.
 the maintenance of a military es-
 tablishment for the purpose of un-
 just aggression upon other states. If that meaning he said was adopted there would be little room for dis
 cussiOn as to what the attitude of
 the United States should be. The real question was what should be the policy of the United States with reference to preparation for war. The development of morals even when measured by centuries had
 been astonishing small and in our present state in spite of rapid pro
 gress, war he declared is inevitable.
 Until all men are good-until their conduct is based upon and prompted by desire to do their full duty each to himself to his country and to his creator force must be resorted to to compel that right conduct wheth- CT the offender is an individual or a state That even a perfectly good people should not resist force di- rected to their own destruction is unthinkable from the most rigid nor al point of view
 After reviewing the attitude of the people of the various nations now engaged in war and emphasiz- ing the universal belief of each that each is engaged in just war. Judge Kibbey pointed out the fact that but a short time ago an entirely different alignment existed and that the enormous reduction of distances ana the increase of population re- sulting in more severe competition rendered it impossible to predict when the United States might be embrOiled in war with one or more powers. Japan he pointed out is increasing rapidly in population and in production and may at any time | that she feels prepared establish a Monroe doctrine for Asia and order us out of the Philippines. Judge 1 Kibbey said in part:
 "Our peaceful inclination will not secure us immunity from war. China is q most peaceful nation, but that 1 has not saved her from the present Japanese aggression nor did it save
 her from that of a few years ago. The very defencelessness of China l has invited that aggression.
 But are we ourselves really a peaceful nation? In our history of one hundred and forty years we have | had at least four foreign wars, in every one of which we were the az gressors: innumerable wars with our 1 Indians in few of which has our attitude been such as to command civil war in which neither combatant was noted for q disposition for a peaceful settlement of the dispute. Al these things considered, are We justified in a reliance on a hope that We will never become engaged l in war? Shall We ignore the les sons taught by events now transpir-