The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-04-24
7. R. WOULD LEAD
SONS into BATTLE
Ready to Fight, But Declares
Delay In Preparedness
Means Many Deaths.

OYSTER BAY. April s4.--If the
United States should go to war the
Roosevelts will go to the battle line
all of them.
Colonel Roosevelt said so in a state
ment called forth by the recent APP
peal, STAND by the President" He
spoke for the men who would have
to do the lighting and who would die
In thousands because OF the country's
unpreparedness Colonel Roosevelt
Men arersaying that they stand be-
hind the President or by the Presi-
dent. wish to speak for the men VINO,
'front.' Of sy ts. President 81 n ana %
him and the foreign enemy and who
therefore will stand. between danger
and the men who are behind or beside
THESE are the men who viii go to
the!war at once II there is war with
Germany. or with any other great
power and who feel, as I do. that we
far rather &c to nS s ssSTpsn
dsred with impunity and the honor OF
the flag stained -..r
Promises To Enter Army.
But 1t IL a wicked thing that the
folly OF our rulers in obeying the be-
and of the apostles of anti-prepared-
ness. should make the sacrifice either
useless or else needlessly and appall-
ingly wasteful in blood.
s"Ir the event of such a war my four
sons will 60. and one and perhaps both
OF my sohs-in-lav; will 30 myself;
the young kinsfolk' and friends Of my
soma, VIII, 60: 80 my words are spoken
'It Is Of small consequence what hap
pens to us Of the older generation; but
when / think of the young men my
heart crows bitter that their fine and
gsllant lives should be sacrificed. not Ia
the nations need. but to the nations
II would far rather see them dead
than zee them finch from their duty
when the honor of our people is con-
cerntd. hut IL we now go TO war, these
young men and all their fellows will
die IL thousands Of fever and dysentery
and lung trouble IN the camps, because
we have not prepared in advance, be-
caust they and those who would lead
and care for them have not been trained
in advance.
"Will Be Butchered Needlessly."
They will be butchered needlessl,
IN battle because we have failed to pre-.
pare masses of artillery and machin,
guns and motor trucks and shells ant
aerorlanes. and have failed to provid,
and tain the men who shall manag,
al the formidable and delicate mechan
Ism OF war.
"Twenty-one months have passed
since tfc great war began, and durinl
all this time We have not prepared II
even the smallest degree In order. 4
possible. to avert war from us, or. IL !,
could not be averted, to wage 1t eff
GENTLY and successfully.
The pacifist and apti.nren. radn..,
people have had their will. and oui
rulers; at Washington have bowed Ia
them and left us helpless. and. with
blind faulty. they said they did thi,
In the interests of peace.
When will our people learn that the
peace o. unpreparedness is the peace
OF cowardice and folly. and may at any
time lead to overwhelming disaster?
Germany Misled He Says.
Fourteen months ago we notife,
Germany that II she did what ever sine,
che has done and continued to do W,
would hold her to a strict accountable
ity. Such language could only be jus
tined II Immediately and In thorough
going fashion we had bent our ever,
energy to the task of preparing, and
therefore, showing that we meant wha
We said and that we possessed botl
the VIII and the power to make oul
such a course would have not In
creased. 1t would have greatly dimin
ished, the chances OF war. But we sa
supine. We took not one step to pre-
pare. Naturally. Germany did not trea
us seriously; we mislcd her.
NOW. fourteen months afterward, W,
say that we were serious. IL German,
now does as we wish. II will, as hav,
said before, be proof positive that Ger
many would have promptly yielded /
fourteen months ago We had so acte,
that Germany knew we meant what w
said. and in such case, therefore, on
rulers at Washington will have beei
proved responsible for the blood of tn
thousands OF peacetur men, women, an
children who have been killed.
IF she does not yield, we are the
faced with crisis for which durin
twenty-one months We have failed /
prepare in even the smallest degree.
The failure of our rulers at Wash
inston to prepare during these twenty
one months. when even a child ough
to. have seen what was impending, ha
represented a folly so extreme that n
its effect II was crime against tn
80