The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-11-11
William Allen White Declares
That Governor Capper
Is Not i'm Line With Kansas
Public Sentiment.
SPLIT ON PREPAREDNESS
Emporium Says We Are at
Mercy of the World.
Big Army of Trained Soldiers
Alone Can Save Us.

After putting the glories of the Cap
per administration in verse and set
ting it to music, William Allen White,
of Emporia, bids sad and fearful
goodbye to Governor Capper on his
speech against national preparedness.
1.-The governor is getting out of step
with the folks says White in an edi-
torial commenting on the governor s
latest speech.
No rank, ra bid, ADVANTAGEOUS, raw
meat-eating Progressive in Kansas
was more bitter against Governor Cap
per in the 1914 campaign than was
White. The Emporia editor said that
Capper had dOuble-croSSed the Arma-
geddonites and he proceeded to prove
it. He said that Capper by action and
word of mouth had promised his 10y
atty and undying support to the new
party and he was sorely grleved and
offended.
Then Capper moved into the state
house and began the appointment of
Progressives to office-Bristow Mer-
Ger, Jackson, Codding and Elliott.
Right there White began to change his
views. Capper was progressive enough
for the ProgreSsiveS and the music of
of thousand strings.
When Governor Capper went to
Emporia to make a speech, White sat
in the front row on the platform and
introduced the governor to the crowd.
When the governor .walloped the
standpat Republicans by appointing a
Progressive, White howled with glee
and rubbed his hands and laughed
until his sides hurt When the gov
ernor picked committee to GUST War
den Botkin from office and pay off a
1912 election debt, White said that
Botkin should have known better than
to fight. The governor reappointed
a number of Hodges appointees and
White wrote an editorial that proved
his assertion that the governors face
was toward the rising sun.
Time to Back Up.
Now there is a hush in the ranks of
the ProgressiVeS- White has chaStised
the governor who won his greatest
praise Governor Capper is off wrong
on the war question, White urges. and
he wants the executive to back up and
start all over again.
In an editorial in his Emporia Ga
zette, White said:
Governor Capper is getting out of
step with the folks in decrying the
unmiStakable sentiment of the people
of this country to prepare for trouble
from foreign foes Two years ago it
seemed that peace was about to de-
scend permanently upon the earth
But the conquest of Belgium and the
pillage of Serbia shows what happens
to defenseless nations. AS we stand,
with Mexico always ready to bargain
with our enemies, a landing party
could disembark in Mexico and be at
our borders in few days. What
could we do against a trained army of
1OO,OOO-in a month or even in
year?
We have not the private soldiers
but worse than this we have not the
trained officers to organize a trained
army, and worse than all we have
neither guns nor ammunition to last
ten days in a stiff fight with a major
power.
War is abroad in the earth To
ignore it, to declare that we are pro-
tected by our geographical position is
fOlIV. Guns and
and men, and well-trained officers
Will save us, and nothing else.