The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-06-13
THE PREPAREDNESS PARADE

The postal cl6TkS OIL CHodSOld al 49,
latest body to endorse the preparedness
parade in which they propose to take part
# consistent with their official duties. In
view of the fact that postal employees took
part in the preparedness parades OF New
York, Chicago and New Orleans, no oppo-
sition is expected here.
Every club here. every fraternal body,
everv business house, even banks should
be represented in the pageant; IN addition
The Journal hopes to see the F1shermens
Association, the Stevedores Benevelovent
Association, the Screwmen's Associations
the T. T. u, the l. A. No. 1865, <. OF L.,
and the different railroad organizations
to mention only few-all in the parade
July the Fourth is the day for which the
demonstration is prepared, and with
thoughts of what our grandfathers were
doing on another July 4, we can march with
all the enthusiasm of inspiration.
The object of the parade is twofold: To
show LOYALTY to the stars and stripes at a
time when our industrial enterprises are
being mysteriously blown up, and when
a foreign element is o. 1nly working
against the election of a president who,
while saving the self respect of the United
States, has accomplished at the same time
the infinitely more difficult task of keeping
us from being embroiled in war.
The second purpose is to show whether
we approve of Wilson'S policy in strength
ening the defenses of the United States SO
this country could resist foreign aggres-
sion, in case the need ever came up.
In other words, do you think the United
States is worth saving?
The United States is twenty-third, for
instance, in aeronautics. We have a
couple of dozen aeroplanes for the navy
England, to give only one illustration, has
1,400. Already the United States has
slumped way below second place in naval
strength. The administration has strength
ened the army by recent bills, but how pit
iably weak it still is, needs no comment.
The presidents policy will be to build q
navy second to none, to develop aeronau-
tics and build a greater station here in
Pensacola.
Do you think he has the right idea?
That, in word, is the question you vii
be able to answer on july Fourth.
The anti-Wilson politicians in Wash
ington who are opposing the president say
that between two suns an army of mil
lion men would spring from somewhere
get guns from somewhere be drilled in
some miraculous fashion, learn how t.
run aeroplanes, fix automobile engines
manufacture chemicals, run locomotives
stretch barbed wire fence, dig trenches anc
do all the million mechanical things that i
warfare nowadays.
Two centuries ago when the Minute
Men did such yeomen service, such thing
as amateur-so to speak-so1diery. wa.
possible. Remember, however, the Minut,
Men were all crack shots, were countr,
men and used to hard hunting trips. But
how many people nowadays, however
know how to shoot a shotgun-much les
modern high power repeating rifle? How
many OF us can march ten miles! And con
slider that actual gun-play is the least of
soldiers duties. War is one of the mos
highly specialized industries there is-re
curing skilled labor. What chance wonl,
an amateur have in machine shop? Inao
inc yourself, then trying to be soldier
you might get to be water-boy
AS warfare is so mechanical. if is &c
pecially important for our parade that tn
arts and trades be represented PRINTING
IS every bit as essential to a successful cam
Paign, for instance, as gunnery The par