The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-17
,G0MPERS IS FOE
| Of DISARMAMENT
Says 1t Would Be Suicidal for
Any One Nation to Dis
card Defenses.
MILLENNIUM FAR AWAY
Nations Must Be Able to Enforce
Their Rights. Asserts Labor
Leader.

President Samuel Gompers. of the
American Federation of Labor, de-
clares that organized labor realizes
that the millennium has not been
reached and that experience in indus
trial affairs has taught workers that
absence of means for defense invites
attack and injustice. President Com
pers asserts that disarmament at this
time would be suicidal.
Mr. GomperS says a governmental
policy must be adopted that will pro-
vide means for national defense. He
says this can be done without Gre
ating militarism and expresses the
opinion that the adoption of some
policy like that of Switzerland or
Australia, as suggested by Gen. Wood.
would remove the dangers inherent in
the maintaining of an army of pro-
feSSional soldiers.
Millennium Not Here.
rs organized labor opposed to the
maintenance of an army and organized
militia for the purpose Of national
defense?" Mr.. Gompers was asked.
"Organized labor has every reason
to realize that we have not yet reach
ed the millennium" he answered.
National defense must not be con-
fused with militarism. Extensive and
competitive ornaments and prepara-
tions for war have not stopped war,
but have furnished the means and
causes for bringing about war. Ma
tons must be able to make effective
their best conceptions of what will
promote the welfare of nations and
continued progress of civilization. The
power to enforce the right is tre-
mendouS element in establishing JUS
tice Under present conditions it
would be suicidal for any one nation
to begin disarmament. The power of
self-defense, even though not exer-
cised, is the greatest force for the
maintenance or justice and national
rights. Naturalization does not mean
to give up the right of national de-
Tense"
DO you recognize the fact that the
present strength of our land forces Is
totally inadequate for the defense of
the nation, and that some policy should
be adopted by the government by
which there would be available a large
force OF trained men who could be
called out in the event of war? Do
you think that this could be done with
out creating militarism in this coun-
try"
Militnrism Not Necessary.
Preparations for national defense
must keep pace with the increased
growth and the Increasing interests of
nations. Some governmental policy
must be adopted that will provide the
necessary means for this defense. Ma
tional defense can be provided for
without creating militarism If the or
CARNATIONS for defense are democratic
and under democratic control. 1t may
be true that the people of our country
do not fully realize the political power
they have in their own hands. and have
not always been alert to their own po-
litical interests in using that power to
the fullest extent; nevertheless. the
fact remains that ultimate control is
vested in the people who can use it
when necessity arises"
What do you think of adopting a
policy something like that of SwitZer
land or Australia, as has been sug-
gested by Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood and
a number of other regular army Off
GERS: In this connection, do you not
think that the regular army should
be used for school to train men for
a reserve army rather than the main
tenance of comparatively small
number of highly trained professional
soldiers"
Would Minimize Dangers.