Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-16


no preparedness. CONGRESS In locking
the stable with a paper lock.
TNHE House Of Representatives, Hay
i lied and buldozed. no sooner succeeds
In forcing the Senate into a compromise
which blights the hope of adequate mill
tary preparedness than It is calmly an
nounced from Washington that new
sources OF revenue must be found, where
fore a heavy tax on munitIon makers will
be levied and the Government will confis-
cate for its own use part of inherit
ances.
We have no sympathy with wreckers.
We cannot applaud a decision to keep in
military training a police guard and call
II an army. We are not of those who can
pat themselves on the back because they
carry no fire insurance, imagining that
thereby they have saved some money
School children are being fed with pap
and told, in the words Of Mr.. Bryan, how
at the approach of danger a citizenry
rushes to arms, invincible on account of
Its enthusiasm But some of us in this
country are reasonable human beings,
and the rhetoric of mouth" patriots does
not delude us. We know that bunch of
unframed farmers can't spike a 14.inch
gun. England heard the kind of talk Hay
gets off-heard and believed-and If it
had not been for the French guns that
thundered along the Marne and in the de-
fense of Nancy there would not be enough
of England left to grease a flivver. Yet
the same kind of hot air passes for states
rnanshin In Annaricn
The damage is done. Two years of the
bloodiest period in the history of civiliza-
tion have passed and this wealthy nation
Is just as unprepared for eventualities as
it was when the war started. Moreover,
1t will be just as unprepared another year,
for the blind men now in Washington
can never be made to see. Not until we
get another Congress can we get the kind
of insurance that we must have. Not
until the people sweep this whole crowd
of puny, inch-visioned, anti-defense legis-
lators out of office will there be any hope
for preparedness Our citizens may never
be massed along battle front of hun
dreds of miles, unframed and unarmed,
without artillery and munitions; but if
they are, a spy glass will be necessary to
find the Hays and other gentlemen of the
type who would reduce defense to the
common denominator of political profit.
What are the new taxes for? They
have stuck stamps on telegraph blanks |
and everything else in sight. They have |
put the Federal collecting hand on some
incomes and propose to put it on more of
them. They intend to tax inheritances
and levy on the profits of manufacturers.
Yet with the enormous resulting increase
in revenue they begrudge any part of it
for national defense. They would pour
our gold out for railways in Alaska, for |
good roads in Podunk, for postoffices in |
Square Creek. for open bitches in Yellow |
Gutter and for congressional seed orgies; |
but they are adamant when money is |
wanted to construct a fleet capable of
protecting this rich nation or to build |
guns and buy powder wherewith to repel |
invasion.
1t is no wonder that Theodore Roose-
welt raves and foams at the mouth 1t
is no wonder that men who have been
abroad and know a thing or two are
disgusted at the ignorance which under
lies our legislation. It is no wonder that
triotism, solicit funds from private
sources wherewith to train independent
military units.
Today it is Villa laughing at us or Car
rama mocSlng our strength. Tomorrow it
may be real Power snorting a challenge
at our very gates. But we are told that
this can never happen. No, we are a
people apart. None will ever attack us,
because our motives are too good. But
the torch of the enemy before this has
made a bonfire of the national capital
There is no peace except the peace that
our might can compel There is no JUS
tice among the nations except the justice
that respect for might engenders. There
is no sure safety except the safety for
which we ourselves provide.
Mr.. Garrison has been abundantly vim.
dicated. He, at least, sounded the warn
tempt to bring our legislators to a real.
ization of the situation confronting them.
1t remains now for the Republican Ma
tional Convention in Chicago to find
real American, neither a mouther nor a
procrastinator, who will stand for national
on the party ticket for Congress TO grid
their loins. thrust aside the insldious in
huence of sincere but gullible pachsts
and correct in record time the grievous
error that leaves us unprotected, a lamb
ready for the wolves.