Evening journal., 1916-02-10
CARR ADVOCATES
NATIONAL Defense
Philadelphian Believes Gov
ernment Should Act at
Once on Preparedness
CITES Weakness
OF RIVER FORTS

on Preparedness. in the auditorium
of the High School last night. The
lecture was given under the auspices
OF the Engineers Society of Della
ware
Professor Edward Laurence Smith.
NJ A.. of the faculty II Delaware
College, presided. and with him on the
platform sat General James II. Will
son, U. S. A., retired; Colonel George
w. Sparks, Mayor James f. Price and
William b. Carswell.
Mr.. Carr, who is at the head Of a
committee OF the Philadelphia branch
OF the NATIONAL Security League. is in
charge of the addresses upon the sub
ject of national preparation against
war Mr.. Carr is an attorney and has
been prominent in Philadelphia po-
litical life. having been I'm charge Of
the campaign in which Rudolph
Blankenburg was elected mayor Of
that city.
Mr.. Carr said that it YVES just as
absurd o have to argue seriously that
preparation was necessary In this
country as for the warning nations
Of Europe. He said that Il is just as
necessary for this nation to be pre-
pared to defend its national life and
honor as it is for the city OF viii
mington to provide for the safety of
tie lives OF It's citizens. The speaker
! called attention to several easCns
why people do not believe that there
| is any positive need for reasonable
preparedness against war, and classed
as the first of these the fact that
! II
taught false lessons regarding the
history OF this country when they
we're children. He said that there
had been much talk for years to the
effect that one American, especially
I II he happened to be an Irish -Ameri-
can. was able to handle at least ten
foreigners, especially II they hap
pened to be British. against whom the
Irish had natural antipathy. But
he called attention TO the fact that
il was necessary to teach the people
that so far as bravery was concerned,
there was very little II any differ
4. ence. between men OF different ma
tlons and races. He cited Belgium,
Germany, France. England, Servia
and Montenegro as example OF the
; truth of this statement, and said
that If Il came to question OF battle
we could not iiatter ourselves that
, our soldiers would surpass In brav-
! cry those of the nation which we
might be called upon to fight.
q The second reason. he said, was th'
|, belief of many people that by reasoI
OF the isolation of the American Re
public geographically, II would be i'm
possible for any country TO invad
;, the United States before this countr,
would have time 10 be ready with III
n volunteer armies. and time to trail
S them. This situation might have beer
: true so or 40 or 100 years ago, HI
z said. when the only method OF oceaI
;. TRANSPORTATION was the cumbersome
n sailing vessel, which, in fleets. woulC
Il have TO transport the invading armies
+ and which could be dispersed by an.
!. gale that happened TO blow up an'
e be weeks I'm re-assembling NOW, M
4 said, the ocean was a highway, an'
r not a barrier TO our shores.
J. The speaker said that the third rea
g ! son was given as probably the strong
: est OF them ALL namely. that this
g country was not covetous OF thu
q wealth Of their neighhors, and ha'
no notions OF expansion OF any char
acter. and that. therefore, we wer'
!, not likely to conflict with the ambi
: tions of other powers.
? MY answer to this argument
l. said Mr.. Carr, sis simply to nam
Belgium and China"
He said that there was a disposi
ton on the part of Congress to TAX
care of the situation, but that tn
question was what measures o
preparedness do we need?' Their
has been no real scheme of prepar
edness promulgated, as yet, he said.
He said:
"I found In Washington not an,
- serious obstacles to the real increas
81 the navy" said Mr.. Carr, "But th
question OF the land forces is one q
dificultN Mr. Bryan said that in cas-
of war. there would be a million me
. spring 10 arms in this country be
. tween sunrise and sunset Their
. never. in the history Of the worlC
. has been million men spring
. arms in a single day. But, eliminatin
that part of II, what would the mi
. lion men spring to, in this countr!
today2 Where are the arms2 Thef
. would be no volunteers called in thi
country until. there was imminer
danger of invasion, and then il woul
be too late. When the Secretary
War saws that the answer is in
Continental Army. when Gener'
Wood says that idea Is not feasibl
when Lieutenant General Miles say
that il would make this country q
mobilized as is Germany. when son
. other general says the key is In n
Federalization of the National Guar
. and General Somebody has son
other idea, IL is not for me to pr'
sent an opinion. But this much
certain: II we would not have al
plied 10 us the doctrine that migl
n Is right. that treaties are mere scraI
\ OF paper that military necessii
v knows no law, we must be ready
any time. No country. noting OF
helplessness. will say 1t is ungallal
a. TO attack the United States just nov
We must wait until they have raise
vs. armies and trained them: until the
have equipped themselves with a
ds centimeter guns. and thousands
as field artillery, millions of rifles. scor'
ed of machine guns. and billions of car
en- ridges. until they are our equals
ID strength and preparedness. New
or in the history Of this world has tn
ds heen done. and never will II be don
di- And unless we have all OF thei
,st things. we will need no volunteer
20 III ever we are attacked. il will
BY one OF the four OF five great n
u, tions that are engaged now in wa
..~t..r