Arizona republican., 1916-02-09
Pacificists Warn Senate and House Military Commit tees Against Being Stam- peded Into "Unwarrant- ed Appropriations
Republican A. P. Leased Wire,


 WASHINGTON, Feb S.-Congress made progress today on national pre- paredness measures.
 The senate military committee closed its hearings on the army bills. The senate naval committee re- ported favorably a bill for a govern ment armor plate factory, and rec commended immediate passage of two emergency navy measures which passed the house yesterday.
 On the house side of the capitol the naval committee virtually con- cluded it's examination of Rear Ad- miral Blue, chief of the bureau of navigation while the military com mittee received the proposals of the American Red Cross for greater gov ernment aid in Red Cross prepared ness plans.
 The most striking statement brought out at any of the hearings was that of Admiral Blue who de- clared the American navy now was ready to meet any enemy it might 1 be called upon to encounter in the Pacific. He declined to say what steps had been taken in the last year and a half toward preparing the navy against emergencies. holding | these to be military secrets
 1 Pacificists who said they repre- sented the farmers, working people iand voting women of the country, to- | day warned senate and house military committees against being stampeded 1 into what they termed unwarranted appropriations for military prepar- edness
 l An anti preparedness committee of which Lillian D. Wald, of New York is chairman, introduced itself to the committee as an organization of American citizens formed to protest against dangerous program of 1 military and naval expansion, to di- vert the public mind from those preparations for that world peace which it might be our country's priv 1 iiege to initiate at the close of the var"
 In addition to Miss Wald. opposi-
 ton to war preparations was voiced | by John B. Lennon, treasurer of the
 American Federation of Labor:
 James H. Maurer president of the Pennsylvania Fedora ton of Labor: Mrs. Florence Kelley. Frank Dorn- i blazer, a director of the Nationa 1 Farmers Union, and Sara Bard Field
 of the California Womens Voters As sociation. A message also was read 1 from Governor Capper of Kansas. en- ldorsing the plans of the committee which include a public investigation
 of past appropriations investigation of the sources of the present demand
 for an increase. military expenditures land the elimination of private profit from armament manufacturers
 MT. Maurer, who said he was a ma
 chinist who has been in constant touch with large organizations ot laboring men, met with repeated ap- plause from the crowd in the com mittee rooms composed of about
 equal numbers of men and women He spoke, he explained. not for or. ganized labor, but for the workin. classes, and charged that the presen
 call for arms was inspired by thos,
 who were making immense profit selling ammunition and who at tn iclose of the European war will wan
 a large army and navy to enforce tn collection of the money owed then by bankrupt nations.
 The working people will not con
 sent to fight such war" he saiC
 Instead of spending more money.
 think congress had better investiga {
 the money already spent The peopl have believed we were prepared. w
 were told we were the greatest pow
 CT on earth. Less than to years az
 we were told we could beat German
 and Mexico at the same time. NOW. suddenly, we are told ou boats are old tubs, our army helpless There were no rumorS of war tw years ago, when Germany and Austri were in the best condition of their his
 tory. If I felt now that those dyin , nations could thrash us. I would L
 ashamed to admit l was an America We of the working classes wh
 must fight these battles want
 know what you Enow of them. Pre-. ident Wilson tells us there may be [ great conflagration tomorrow. IT
 American people want to know wh
 danger they are. in.
 If we fear Great Britain, why pc . init our American capitalists to COT