The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-02-02

The statement by President Will son at Milwaukee that the muni tionists did not start the prepara tjonist policy of the administration may be true as far as President Wilson is concerned, but they cer- tainIy started it in the United States, and refiecting that agitation, and unquestionably in some degree influenced by it, whatever may have been the other influences at work, it has become adopted as part of the administration policy.
 Long indeed before President Wilson succumbed to the demand for national defense along the line of the preparationists, the Navy League and the National Security League, all directly or indirectly in- spired by the munitionists to a greater or less degree, have been agitating along tho lin $ which Will son is following, and with even an intenser vigor than is characteristic of the presidents remarkable attl- tude.
 It's not very lcng ago since in his remarkable Philadelphia speech, Wilson opined that the country should be too proud to hght, and that the ducllists code of honor had no place in q national policy; yet in his latest message we find Wilson himself awed by the menace Of na- tions which ere not too proud 70 fight; which will fight whenever and wherever that fight promises to be a winning one.
 The foreign war did not wholly influence Wilson. Surely, it i$ quite clear that where it did, it YVES be- cause it revealed to him tho correct ness of the munitioEists' arguments
 Besides, this has to be said, pre- paredness as now urged is a muni . tionist program. It is suggested by munitionists meetings thGt the time will como when the European war is over and orders must come to the factories, from some other source. They say why not from the United States end they have been working might and main to effect just this.
 Moreover also, 1t cannot have been overlooked that the suggestion that muniticn making should be taken up by the government is answered by the very ratriottc' societies that advocate preparation With an em- phatic no. They decline to let go their grip upon tho profit making side of the industry, ovon for the national good.
 If President Wilson would con vey the impression thct prepared ness began with him, either he is agitation thct has been proct CGing for years in America, or he is mis- leading the people. Thore hasn't { been a great daily devoted to the h. torests but has been consistently urging bigger navy end a bigger ormy for years, but especially C big ger navy, Even the comic papers made light of the national defense as so much junk, trying to force this preparedness idea upon the people. Moreover President Wilson himself knows thct this agitation has been bcGr:ng fruit fer the past ton years and that gradually the expenditures for army and navy have boon growing yecr by year un. til the increaE9 in ten years is an enormous amount.
 Now that agitc ton was not car riad on by the people. Before this war in Europe started they didn'r give a whoop in Hades as to war possibility except with Japan. And even that only half heertcdly and along the Pacific Coast.
 Why all this change? It didn's begin with Wilson It did begin with the munitionists. They have been actively urging more arms more munitions, moro mon, more ships, more guns, more flying ma chimes, greater military and naval efficiency. They tooSke the war in Europe and twisted. it's Iacts to sui' their arguments. They did thit tirelessly and restlessly and witf unfagging energy. Thoy affc ctet the press. the pulpit---yes, and ap pealed directly to the reverends. tt assist them-the legislatures, thu