La Junta tribune., 1916-08-05

Inc tnautaulua presenting ltS lasl
program Thursday, has left in La
Junta pleasant memories Of the high
class productions offered and hope
ful anticipation for next years re.
tdrn. There has probably never been
so much of excellent music and SO
many inspiring speakers heard In
/ La Junta In the same length of time
before, Without question all OF the
numbers were good. but OF course
some were better than others. Among
the better ones was the lecture Of DR.
Martin d. Hardin. of Chicago. DR.
Hardin spoke on Civilization at the
Cross Roads" and in his speech dis.
cussed the question OF preparedness
The side he upheld is the commonly
unpopular side, but his exposition OF
'ts logic has helped to popularize 1,
in La Junta. Following close upon
a time when congress has made the
largest military appropriation In IT.
history. and when politicians and
statesmen are clamoring for hundreds
Of miiiions for war. the speaker et,
, tackled these appropriations as bssns
more calculated to cause us trouble
than to help us. and as being a yio-
lation of civilization which We
thought We had attained and the
Christianity We profess. He did not
only this but he declared that our
preparation besides being wicked is
foolish from the most practical point
OF view. His substantiating facts are
entitled to consideration.
He declared that the United States
is at the present time less in danger
of foreign attack than she has ever
Seen. Europe Is extremely busy at
horne right now. and II is the Euro
pean nations that we fear mostly. II
the war ended tomorrow II would
find all the nations so physically cx-
harsted and so economically and H.
nancially handicapped that they
could not harm us II they desired.
But they will not desire Il, for after
the war they will want to trade to
regain part of the vast fortune that
hus been destroyed. We are the only
nation having great wealth left and
II Is with us that they will want to
trade. Also the end OF the war will
not end the hate between the nations
involved and II one OF them should
attack us its enemies would attack II
In turn. "clcominx the opportunity
OF wafrtas on It's old time foe with
'he pow erful United States as an al
iy Similar instances have occurred
and seem likely TO occur again should
similar circumstances arise.
Another point showing the
strength OF our present condition was
the statement Of the doctors that the
United States has more potential war
resources than any nation under the
sun. The present war has shown that
the nation striking the first blow IL
not necessarily the winner and that
even year Of apparent victory may
be followed by defeat when the enc
my has superiority In resources and
organization for the production Of
supplies.
In view OF the small danger from
Europe. the doctor characterized our
present fevcrish preparation as fool
ish. because the guns and battleships
we purchase now will be junk, ut the
present rate Of progress In impie-
ments Of warfare. long before Eu-
rope regsins her balance.
DR.. Hardin scored military cx-
perts and other individuals who
scorn persons who believe In modcr.
ate armament as impracticable. In his
words:
I'VE are impracticable they say.
We do not understand human nature.
But let us see what these men with
their intense prsrtibiiity and deep
understanding Of human nature have
accomplished. II II these practical