New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-24
Neglect Will Cause
Cruel Sacrifice of
Youth if War Comes
.PACIFIST'S PEACE
is A COWARD'S
Lack of Preparedness Will
Not Keep Off Foe, but
Will Invite Disaster.
From A star Correspondent. c, Tn. Tribune

From star Correspondent, q The Tribune
Oyster Bay, Long Island. April %
"Men are saying that they stand be-
hind the President or by the Presi-
dent" said Colonel Roosevelt in a state
ment issued to-day. 81 wish to speak
for the men who in the event Of war
will stand in front OF the President
and between him and the foreign
enemy, and who therefore will stand
between danger and the men who are
behind or beside the President.
"These are the men who will 90 70
war at once il there is war with Ger
many. or with any other great power,
and who feel. as / do, that we would
far rather go 20 war unprepsred than
see our women and children murdered
with impunity and the honor Of the hag
stained.
at is wicked that the folly OF our
rulers in obcying the behests Of The
eace-at-any price people and Of the
apostles OF anti-preparedness should
make the sacrifice either useless or else
needlessly and appallingly wasteful in
blood.
Grieyes for the Young.
an the event of such a war my four
sons will go. and one and perhaps both
Of my sons-in-law; | will go myself;
the young kinsfolk and friends of my
sons will go; so my words are spoken
with my eyes open.
at is of small consequence what hap
pens to US Of the older generation, but
when think of the young men my
heart grows bitter that their fine and
gallant lives should be sacrificed, not
TO the nations need, but 10 the nations
folly.
II would far rather see them dead
than see them finch from their duty
when the honor of our people IS con-
cerned. But If we now go TO war these
Young men and all their fellows VIII
die in thousands of fever and dysentery
and lung trouble in the camps. because
we have not prepared in advance. be
cause thev and those who would Lead
and care for them have not been
trained in advance.
Pacifists Now in Control.
"They will be butchered needlessly
in battle because We have failed 70
nrepare masses Of artillery, machine
guns. motor trucks. shells and aero
planes. and have failed to provide and
train the men who shall manage all the
formidable and delicate mechanisms OF
"Twenty-one months have passed
since the great war began, and during
ali this time we have not prepared IN
even the smallest degree 70 avert war,
Il possible. or. If it could not be avert
ed. TO wage it efficiently and success
"Pacifists and anti-preparedness peo-
ME have had their will, and our rulers
AZ Washington have bowed 20 them and
left us helpless, and with blind fatuity
they said they did this in the interests
Of peace. When will our people learn
that peace of unpreparedness IS the
peace of cowardice and folly. and may
at any time lead to overwhelming
disaster 9, :
Fourteen months ago we notified /
Germany that if she did what she has |
done and continued TO do ever since we
would hold her to a strict accountable !
ity. Such language could only be justi- |
fed If Immediately and in a thorough /
going fashion we had bent our every /
energy 70 the task Of preparing, and 1
therefore showing that We meant what /
We said and that we possessed both the /
Continued on page Z. column ?