Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-24
LACK OF PREPAREDNESS
CRIME AGAINST NATION
"oraner President Roosevelt Bitter
In His Criticism OF "FolIy
Z OF Our Rulers"
FACIFIsTs DICTATE POLICY
Would Rather Go to War, Even
Though Not Ready, Than See
Americans Murdered With Impu.
nifty and Honor of Flag Stained.

Especial to Tho Times Dispatch
4 OYSTER BAY, n. Y. April 23.-Re-
npondlng to an inquiry as to the ma
ION preparedness for possible war.
former President Roosevelt to-day
hiade the following statement:
Men are saying that they stand be-
nind the President or by the Presi-
"cnt. wish to speak for the men
who' IN the event of war. will stand
~ front OF the President. and between
him and tho foreign enemy: and who
therefore. will stand between danger
ana the men who are behind or beside
the President
These are the men who will go TO
Tho war a, once il there is war with
relInahF or with any other grea,
power. and who feel as l do. that we
would far rather go to war unprc-
pared than see our women and chill
nrcn murdered with IMMUNITY, and tho
honor Of the flag stained
But II liz Il wicked thing that the
ioiiE or our rulers, In obcyins the
behests or the pcace-at-any- price pco-
PIE ana OF the apostles OF :tntiprc-
pmrehneas. should make the sacrifice
either useless or cls6 needlcssiy and
hPpallinSly wastcfuI In blood
In the event of such IA war inv
-FOUR sons Will 60 and, one and per-
maps both my sons-in-la~; Will 70
myself Tho young ktnsfolk sons viii
- 30 my words arc spoken with my
eyes open.
1T In Of small consequence wh,. han
pens 10 us OF the older generation; bur
"hen think OF tho young men my
heart grows bitter that their fno and
saiiant lives should lie sacrificed not
l" the nations need, but TO Tho NATHAN.
folly. '"~''''
HATHER SEE THEM DEAD
THAN TO FINCH FROM Dtr1~y
would far rather SEQ than, don,
hah sec them finch from their dur,
"hcn the honor OF our pconlc ia con.
terhed But II We now 20 10 war
an ',s Young men and all their fellows
WIZ die BY Thousands OF fever. snd
"Hseh'ery' and lung trouble in the
csHiPs' because we have not prcnarcd
az ADVANCE. becaus. they and those
VINO would lead and care for then
- not peen trained IN advance
ihcS VIII be butchercd ncedIcssIv
IN battle because we have rsiled -
prepare masses OF artillery and M.
enine guns and motor-trucks an,,
sneNs and aeropianes. and have failed
'" pro''ue and train the men who shall
manage all the formidable and doll
cate mechanism Of war
lWenty-onc months hay. naxsed
SINCE the great war began, ana dur
ing All this time we have no, pre.
IN even the smallest degree,
IN oroer. N possible. to aver, war FROM
US or. ~ II could not be ayerted IN
wage II efficiently and s,iccessfu,II.
ne nacifists and antiprcpar edncs,
peopic nave had their viii. and nnr
rulers 1T Washington have boyycd ~
them and Loft us helplcss: ana u.,,h
hhnd faulty they said thcv did mis-
In the interests Of peace
hch VIII our people learn thnt
peace OF unprcparedncss is the peace
OF co%ardice and folly, and may at
any timo lead to overwhelming disas-
ter? N'SaS-
Fourteen months ago we no,i6cd
Germany that il She did whstaver
since she has done and has continued
TO do, We would hold her TO a .strict
accountability Such language could
only be justified n Immediately and
IN. thoroughs Ding fashion We had bent
our every energy to The task OF Dre-
narins. and therefore showing tina,
possessed both the will and the rower
TO make our words good
SUCH COURSE WOULD HAVE:
LESSENED CHANCES OF WAR
such a course would not have in
crea sed-t would have greatly di-
minished-the chances OF war. But
we sat supine. We took not one stcn
10 prepare. Naturally. Germany did
not treat us seriously; we ,nisled her.
NOW. fourteen months afterwards
we say that we were serious. If Ger
many now does as VIC wish, 4, will as
nave saiu peIOTc, DO proof positive
TINT Germany would have promptly
yielded. II fourteen months ago we had
so acted that Germany knew we meant
what We said; and In such case, there
fore, our rulers at WASHINGTON will
have been proved responsible for the
blood OF thousands OF peaceful men
women and children who have been
killed
IT she does not yield, we are then
faced with a crisis for which during
twenty -ono months we have failed 10
prepare In even the smallest degree
Tho failure of our rulers at Wash
ington to prepare during these TWENTY
one months, when even child ought
to have seen what was Impending, has
represented a folly so extreme that in
effect It was crime against the ma
ton"
Colonel Roosevelt was slightly bet
ter to-day. An irritation I'm his throat
ana hoarseness still bother him, how
ever. lie will motor to New York to-
morrow TO take treatment firm a throat
specialist. returning Immediately TO
Oyster Bay. Similar treatments will
be taken on Tuesday and Wednesday
There Is little doubt now that Mr..
Roosevelt will be able to deliver his
banquet address on Thursday night In
New York. as we'll as keep his Chica 90
speaking dato for the following Sat
urday.
Meanwhile, the rest cure, which ba rs
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