Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-12
Wilson Is Not
Worried byFear
Of MiHdrisna
Says Preparedness Is ESSEN
tiaI to Peace and Hopes for
World Police Force to Pre-
vent Wars in the Future
by Associated Press. J

ASHlNGION. May 9.-HOpe tnat at
the end OF the present war the nations
or the world would undertake a joint
effort TO keep the peace, backed by a
common police force, was expressed by
President Wilson in an interview with
a committee of the American Union
Against Militarism, which called to pro
test against his preparedness program
and advise him that they had found
a fear of militarism in the country west
of the Alleghenies.
The president told his callers that a
helpless nation would be neglible in
a conference to establish the founda,
tions for peace. He said there was a
difference between preparedness and
militarism, that the country was in no
danger of the latter. and in response
TO a question declared that compulsory
military training was not contrary to
American tradition.
The committee insisted that on &C.
count of his office the president most
frequently addressed audiences from
j the upper classes and that the re-
sponses he received upon the proposal
to increase the military were mislead-
ing him as TO the true sentiment of the
country.
CAN'T PROTECT BORDER.
President Wilson told the committee
that while Americas traditions were
/ anti-militaristic they were not those
/ OF military helplessness; that the exist
/ ing United States army was not large
/ enough to safeguard the Mexican bor-
der, and it had been found necessary
/ TO prepare the navy to deal with ire
mendously increased tasks quite indie,
/ pendent of war.
The committee was headed by Miss
/ Lillian d. Valid, Rabbi Stephen 5. Wise
and Amos r. E. Pinchot. of New York
u
and John A. McSparran, legislative
chairman of the National Grange, who
presented a memorial setting forth that
| while the union dill not stand against
sane or reasonable preparedness nor
/ for peace at any price, il was convinced
| that the big army and navy programs
were a menace to democracy. The pres
ident was informed that these views
| had been voiced in great meetings in
ten cities of the middle west and had
met with enthusiastic Endorsement
When the spokesman of the delaga-
tion had supplemented their memorial
by brief speeches the president replied
PRESIDENTS VIEWS.
The president said in part:
/ Il have never dreamed for a moment that
! America a whole. its rank and file, had got
any military enthusiasm or militaristic spirit
! and ] think THAI il is very necessary, in order
that we should work this thing out wisely, that
! We should carefully discriminate between rea-
I sonable preparation and militarism; because II
/ YOU use the two words Interchangeable, then,
| OF course, the reasonable things that we ought
/ 10 do take on a wrong and sinister appearance
/ sud we seem 10 be working for the wrong things
! when We are in reality only working for the
| risht-that is the necessary things that are I'M
avoidsbIe in the circumstances. l think it
would be a disservice not TO recognize that there
is point Of reasonable preparation and that
| yOu can go 20 that point without changing the
For the traditions OF the country have not been
those of a military helplessness, though they
have been those Of an anti-militarism.
The currents Of opinion, or, rather the bodies
/ Of opinion in this country, very hard to
| assess. For example. Mayor Mitchell. of New
York city, and a group of gentlemen associated
l with him made a tour not unlike that which
l you made and had meetings, and they came back
/ and reported in the most enthusiastic terms
| unanimous opinion, not for universal military
service but very distinctly for universal military
training. which, of course, is a very different
thing. -
Vow ! quite see the danger that Mr. Pinchot
pcrceives in the laws that he referred 10. be-
cause they seem to associate military training
| with public authority and TO draw that training
irto some sort of connection with military or
I ganzation. II Is not inconsistent with American
I shoot and take Of himself: on the con-
trary. that is distinctly implied in our bills or
/ rights. where the right TO carry arms is re-
served 20 all of US. There is no carrying
/ arms If You do not know what to do with them.
/ I should say that il not inconsistent with
the traditions of the country that the people
should know how to take of themselves;
hut il is inconsistent with the traditions Of
the country that their knowledge Of arms should
he used by governmental ORGANIZATION wllcn
would make anil organize great army suhJect
20 orders. 70 do what a particular group or
men might at the time think it was hest TO
/ have n do. That is the militar1Sm OF Europe,
I where few persons determine what an
I armed nation Is TO do. That is what ! under
stand militsriSm to be. But nation acquaint-
ed with arms is not a militaristic nation. IN
less there is somebody who can by an order
determine what they shall all do with that
I TO let these different things seem as II they
MATTER or JUDGMENT
when vcu come to ask how much preIAra
tIon y6u can make that surely is a matter ~
a dgment. and do not see how You can fni
lan absolute standard nron which 70 determine
that we might have arrangement by which
tie 'order or Mexico can Ice Patrolled: There
are not men enough in the existing American
army to patrol that border. When things are
~ skies AMI serens. in ncishhoring coun-
try. in Mexico. End everybody apparently a
law unto himself. there are not men enough
g. safeguard that border. AMI yet II is the
right thing to do to keep the disorders of one
country from flowing over to disturb the peace
81 another country That is not miltarism
that is necessity. do not need 70 tell Won
that I am iust as much opnosed to nilitarsm
as any man living-I think II Is 4 deadly
thing TO get into the spirit Of a nation. and
! do not think there is the slightest danger Of
its getting into the spirit OF this nationally I
I have to determine how large army is not
Iuurpas onanc Tor the I mica states. Inc largest
srmy proposed that Of the Chamberlain bill. is
go. 600 men, and compared with any Euro
pcan standard. thar Is extremely small in a
nation OF a hundred millions. So that unless
YOU regard 10 a prophecy. there IL nothing
le1trsvacant in army OF 100000 men.
The traditions Of the American people have
always been TO- a very powerful navy. We
have never been Jealous OF the navy in our
most sensitive movements
INCREASE IN NAVY.
One % the members II tire committee asked
So the navy had not been increased tremen-
idOuSly.
''Not tremendously" Mr.. Wilson replied.
You see our tasks have increases Tremendously;
the amount ~ that have found 10 neces-
Issry 20 police, 20 take Of distant pos
sessions and he ready for eNigenciCs OF the
most ordinary kind. quite independently OF war.
has increased Tremendously. So that 7 earnestly
hope that may not sntagOnizc reasonable pro
tection in cur effort to avoid mitarism. do
Dot think IN Is going 20 need any very grea (
Effort 70 avoid militarism, because I qIite
Iagr-s with you that there have got TIE
sentiment Of great bC'iy Of people behind US
and that. after all is ali that We care about.