New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-30
No Room Here for Hyphens or
Fanatics in Religion.

BIZ business prosperity and efhciency
and harmlessness. To mobilize our re
sources. and introduce efficiency every
where in business, would merely make
US n more attractive and more help-
less prey unless we in similar fashion
develop our power and purpose Tor sell
defence. stand for protection.
By that ! mean not only protec-
ton TO American industries and 10 the
material interests Of American WORK.
ingmen, farmers and business men.
also mean. and with even greater en-
phasis. protection for the whole Amerl-
can nation. protection for American
honor. protection for Americas self
respect. protection for Americas posi-
ton among the nations, protection Tor
her when she strives, as she ought 10
strive, to bring peace 10 the rest OF the
world. And there can be no such pro
lection without thoroughgoing prepare
ton military, social and industrial.
L. ). History an Argument.
have before used the effect OF non
preparedness on China as an argument
for preparedness. Really the events
of the last twenty-one months, includ-
ing especially the events of the last
month, show that no argument $
needed save our own history during
these past twenty-one months.
On August /. 1914. the war began,
and il had already become clear that
the already dreadful situation in Mex
leo was going steadily from bad TO
worse. Il should have been perceptible
TO any nation and II is not 10 our
credit as a nation that II was not evi-
dent 10 US that there was the gravest
danger of our being involved at some
point with the European belligerents
and the almost certainty that We would
have to take action sooner or later as
regards Mexico Even the first few
weeks of the great war made It evi-
dent that the prime factor in success
in war was preparedness IN advance
and that il was impossible adequately
TO prepare after war had begun. Yet
our well-meanng, foolish, peace-at-
sny-price people clamored so loudly
that we must not prepare because pre-
paredness would increase the chances
Of war that we followed their advice.
Six months went by with no par
ticle of preparation by US. Our army
and navy remained as weak as ever.
Nothing of any sort was done TO help
put out industries in shape TO help
US in the event Of war The profess
sional pacihcists hailed this refusal TO
exercise precaution IN the face of the
hurricane as an evidence Of virtue on
our part. II was merely an evidence
Of blind and timid weakness Then
after six months Germany announced
that she would conduct submarine
blockade Of England under circum-
stances which rendered inevitable the
loss Of American lives. We sent her an
ultimatum announcing that in such
case we would hold her TO a strict ac-
countability. ! use the word "ulti-
matum" for IL is the only word to de-
scribe the document containing the
words "strict Accountability" If these
words mean anything. When we took
that action We placed Ourselves in a
position where II became crime
against ourselves not Immediately to
prepare. Fourteen months have passed
since. Germany has again and again
done what we said she should not do
We protested, sometimes strongly.
sometimes weakly, against what was