Arizona republican., 1915-12-18
prenaredness and eovernment Ownership

One of the accusa tons by Bryan and other opponents national preparedness has been that the foremost advocates of national defense prU- gram are men who are directly remotely con- nected with concerns engaged in the manufacture of armor plate, ordnance. explosives and other tcles for which would be greatly stm- ulated by execution a defense program. This charge likely have much more weight with the people at large than any argument that the pacfists offer.
 It is true that the list of advocates of national preparedness includes such persons the pacfists have described. but their mere advocacy of pre- paredness does yet Mr Bryan in ascrb- ing them selfish motives. We conceive that a may be a manufacturer of and milton and still be patriot Besides for every such advocate of preparedness there thousands of others who could the slightest selfish terest in defense program. So even. if it could proved that in thousand advocates was inspired by selfish motives. that would the entire movement the spirit of it.
 Few great have been set on foot for the betterment of the world have not had the support of unworthy persons. There have been great movements instituted by unworthy persons with selfish ambitious motives which were taken up by good and carried success.
 The pacifists have adopted plan to smoke out the selfish advocates if any, preparedness Congressman Clyde H. Tavenner who believe, first pointed the relation between the advocates of preparedness with the munton O war business. is now advocating the manufacture by the government of all materials. A few days ago Senator Tillman in a speech advocated the ap- propration by the government of s11.OOOOOO for an arnor manufacturing plant Some newspapers at once attacked the speech, with reasonable arglI- ment but with unreasoning ridcue which cannot carry much weight with the people in the face of the charges which the pacifists made.
 Nor, are the people unaware of the great profits which builders of warships. makers of ammunf- uon, and of ordnance have made dealings with the government in the past. The people have not forgotten the scandals growing out of transac- uons in plate whose defects were not dis covered or at least, not disclosed by govern ment experts but by worlmen in the plants where the plate had been made.
 There are arguments which may made against the manufacture by the government of arms and armor plate, just arguments may be made against government ownership, but these arguments to be effective, must be offered by men who cannot be suspected of interest the muntion workers or with any other enterprise like the railroads the telegraph. menaced or less remotely by gov ernment ownership.
 If the intuition makers out against this movement they will once more highly color the suspicion that they schemers rather than pa triots, and they will be put the position of choosing between the defeat national preparedness and the success of government ownership.
 The government ownership proposition will probably be made the ralyng point the pacifsts It will of course attract many are not pacifsts and of the latter there will doubtless be some who would consent to preparedness if assured that it's chief purpose was not to enrich private citizens The advocates of preparedness find in this gov ernment ownership proposition dangerous rock either upon which to land o skirt Either may be dcne safely or the attempt do either may result in shipwreck