The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-16

desire this war; l am not to blame for
this war; some one else began it. y
They all with one accord denied re.
sponsibility. The world is to be con.
graduated that we have reached a
time when no ruler in a civilized land
dares to admit that he caused this
; war or even desired it-this is long
step in advance. 1t is not necessary,
therefore. to waste any time in an eff.
fort to prove that war is a curse
That may now be taken for granted.
and we are at liberty to devote all of
our energies to the prevention of
+: war.
. But just when 1t has become posi-
BILE to unite in an effort to prevent
war we find . radical difference of
opinion as to how war can be pre-
vented: A propaganda is being &C
lively carried on which has for its
object the establishment of the doc
trine that the only way to preserve
peace is to get ready for war. The
opponents Of this theory admit that
war is a horrible thing and that it
should be avoided, but they contend
that the only way to pprevent war is
to organize, arm and drill, and then
stand, rifle in hand and finger on hair
trigger-and preserve the peace.
/ never expected to hear this theory
advanced after the present war began.
AT each session of Congress during the
past Is or 20 years we have heard
some advocating this doctrine and in
sistind on more battleships and a
larger army, but the interest could
generally be traced to their business
connections-they were anxious to
furnish the preparedness themselves
and therefore advocates of the theory.
But when this war broke out | thought
that at least one good would come out
Of it, namely, that no one would here
after stand before an intelligent audi
ence and argue that preparedness
would prevent war. If war could be
prevented by preparedness, there
would be no war in Europe today, for
they have spent a generation getting
ready for this war. They had the
kindling all ready; all they needed
a match. When the war broke
out those best prepared went in first
and others followed as they could pre-.
pare, and l believe that If we had been
we'll prepared as some now ask us
be we would be In the war today
shouting for blood as Justify as any
If them.
This Is so serious matter and it
is SO vitality important that we should
follow the course best calculated to
event war that l beg you to listen
while present the reasons which lead
me to believe that the preparedness
which thew now propose would not
only not prevent war but would &C.
tually provoke war--that with the
things that necessarily accompany it
preparedness would inevitably lead us
into the wars against which they ask
rs to prepare. In the first place, we
can not have a period of preparedness
without submitting ourselves to the
leadership Of those who believe in the
doctrine that peace rests upon fear:
that we can only preserve the peace
by making people afraid of us. This
is the folly Of the ages-the very
theory that has led Europe into this
present conflict. And more, II we are
to be driven to preparedness by the
scares that are now being worked up
we must follow the leadership, not of
those who advocate moderate pre.
paredness, but of those who insist up.
on extreme preparedness. II we must
prepare little because we are told