Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-27
PREPAREDNESS DINERS
GIVE S13,344 TO HELP
PHILADELPHIA'S ARMY
Military Mems Speeches Fol-
lowed by Donations to
Equip $4,000 Volun-
teer Soldiers
MESSAGE FROM BAKER

1t took only fve minutes to raise si3,S44
at the Hotel Adelphia last night, when
Philadelphia men and women, who are
conducting the half million-dollar pre-
paredness campaign to equip and drill a
citizen army of $4,000 launched the move
ment with n banquet and made plans for
the coming ten-day campaign.
This money was collected at the dinner
which opened the campaign at the Hotel
Adelphia by the various team captains
who during the next 10 days will work
increasingly to raise the half million.
The sum was raised within Ave minutes
after Major General Leonard Wood, COM
mander of the Department of the East,
and Major General George Barnett, COM
mSndant of the United States Marine
Corps, had told the team captains MEM
bers and interested citizens just what pre-
paredness means. They told them II
meant the best that the citizens can give
the nation in weli-trAined manhood In
times of stress that IL Is the live issue
of the hour that Righteousness and moral
ity will never protect us without IL (; and,
fipally. that the man who sends unpre-
pared armies into the field is guilty of
murder that a disgraceful peace which
gaorif1ces national ideals or endangers the
national honor or subordinates right to
expediency is worse than war
Secretary of War Baker sent an in
spring message to the men and women
who will be collecting money for pre-
paredness, in which he congratulated Mr..
Biddle and those working with him on
the undertaking, and he expressed the
earnest hope that II would result in the
highest good to the country.
Major General Wood the first speaker,
congratulated Mr.. Biddle on the work he
has done IN the interest of preparedness
and his efforts of the present. He de-
clared the officers of the army and navy
hNy b,,t
that they wanted the country prepared
for a conflict should such a misfortune
come.
I'VE don't look for war, we men of the
service" he said. but II is our business
to get you out of the trouble you got us
into. We don't want to see you thrown
into war unprepared. Are you women
willing to send your unprepared men into
battle with men who know their job?
That Is the issue you must face, and you
must remember that the man who sends
such men into battle Is guilty of murder
Major General Barnett. in opening his
address, said the city deserves the thanks
of the nation in instituting such CAM
paign as is now under way. and declared
1t would prove an inspiration to other
municipalities. Then he pressed home the
truth that preparedness means not only
readiness in n military sense. The nation,
he said. must be prepared to forego lux
urieS ana In time or stress endure the
onerous conditions of war with which Eu-
ropean countries are struggling.
OF the sum collected last night, A. j.
Drexel Biddle gave $4,000 as the contribu-
tion of himself, wife and the Drexel Bid
die Bible Glasses Mrs, A j. Drexel Bid
die the captain of Team of the wom-
ans Division, reported S1050; DR.. j. NJ
Anders, captain of Team 1 of the Mems
Division, reported $500. The teams will
meet at IL 80 each day at the Adelphia
for luncheon and reports will then be re-