The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-06-08

j. Preparedness. lie replied: The sec
z ond navy in the world and an arm
e Of 250,0o0 men"
$ In this case, pacifsts and advoeat
J Of Preparedness are in agreement a
: TO the size Of a reasonable army. A
4 army Of 100000 men means one sol
1 der to every 430 people. There !
|, one policeman to every 416 people il
Philadelphia, and one to every 429 il
. New York. To me at least an army o
, that proportionate size carries with i
no threat that militarism is about Il
overwhelm democracy.
], As to the Navy, from 1905 to 1909
our Navy was the second in the world
Having it second did not endangel
democracy then. see no reason why
il should endanger democracy now.
So far as | am aware no one famil.
lar with naval affairs believes tina,
submarines and mines at sea and guns
on land, without a fleet, can be de-
pended on to defend coast like ours.
The whole teaching Of the present war
shows that they can not. German sub
marines, IL is true, have succeeded in
preventing any increase in the British
merchant marine by destroying yes
sells about as fast as new tonnage
could be added. But that is all they
have done. They have nos even
threatened, much less endangered, the
supremacy of the British fleet. 1t is
the British feet which keeps England
safe from invasion, just as our fleet
must keep us safe.
1t will not do, however, TO forget
that genuine Preparedness includes
far more than arms. A navy and an
army are not enough. In modern war
nations fight not alone with weapons,
but with all their natural resources,
with their industry and transportation,
and above all with the patriotic devo-
ton of their citizens.
Rounded National Preparedness on
modern lines works not only toward
securing peace, but also toward max
ing this country a better place to live
in for all of us when peace has been
secured. The great natural resources,
like coal, iron, copper, and waterpow-
err, are the raw materials of prosper
ity as well as the raw materials of
National defense. They must be made
available for use of the people both
in peace and in war. But above and
beyond all else, we must have a coun-
try defended against attack from
within and without by equal opportun-
ity and social justice a country
whose people will stand by it because
i has stooo by them.
Let no man imagine that because he
ives inland he is safe from injury by
war The capture Of New York or
San Francisco would break the routes
If trade, and the resulting dislocation
If business would be felt in every {
lome in the land. Farmer, miner, J
merchant, wage Garner, employe-ev-
ry man who works would find his
livelihood in danger if the normal de |
nand for labor and the products of |
abor were overturned by war. '
recognize that in the manufacture I
t munitions and supplies for war ex- i
cssive profits are often found. ] am l
n favor of eliminating them with C
trorg hand. But it seems to me as
oolish to decide against National de- A
ense because there is graft as it t
'ould be to abolish the police force in s
ny city because there is graft. The k
ming to do is to drive out the graft, o
nd yet maintain the protection which a
so necessary to all our people. v
You and are protected by our laws Fl
ecause behind the law there is force. l.
1AfIUdlIolidi ldW Ilho hO loiSN btiiiiiu "
!. Some day, we hope and intend, it Il
ill be made unsafe to break the law fl
Nations. As yet, however, each Ma
on must still 90 unprotected or pro- u
,ct itself. Until the Nations unite o.
,gether to enforce international law, N
Ir best hope for peace lies in making il
dangerous for any Nation to at
Ick US.
You and ! belong to a great peace
wing people. We hate war and de-
re peace. We seek with eagerness for to
" means that will hasten the coming HI
permanent peace. We are ready to nj
yerything that is just and honor or
lie to secure it. Doubtless we join pa
It'll every lover Of peace in looking w
rward TO the day when reason and W
lderstanding viii settle or prevent TT
sputos among the Nations. But the az
ad to peace does not lie through TO
Ibby weakness, as the history Of :
nina proves, but through self-re- tn
ecting strength. That is why be- ag
We in National defense. The mere We
ire for peace, and the best intea-
ms on our part, can not always Sc fel