Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-05-06

q Des Moines. May Sit ID true that
Iowa is one OF the most American 4
the American states and the hyphen-
ated variety of inhabitant does not
strongly intrude upon citizenship; but
those who have taken the trouble y
watch the play OF forces between the
camps Of peace and preparedness, OF
preparedness for defense and pre-
paredness for war, are not unaware tnat
there is much counting Of Iowa opin-
ion. 1t is pretty political fight, any
way it is considered, and close students
of contemporary history ought to take
notes by the way. 1S
The joint debate before the Des
Moines Chamber Of Commerce ended
as soon as it was announced that the
matter would be decided for the cham
Der by the board of directors. After
that. nobody took an interest for ev-
cry one knew that the matter had been
arranged in advance. a:...E , ..
But the fact that the directors OF
the Des Moines commercial body sent
eastward the word that Iowa is for war
and getting ready for war. appears not
to have deferred the opponents of that
! form of preparedness. The American
Union Against Militarism,' which has
opened an office in Washington, seems
| to be engaged in informing the dear
people on what is happening, and cir
/ cular has found its way to many thou
sands of Iowa people this week invit-
! ing their attention to some things. This
organization Is making stand for
making the Hay bill, in congress, the
maximum Of preparedness. and against
the Chamberlain bill, which the SEN
ate has substituted. This is now in
conference as between the two houses.
! In regard to current history as 1t is
being made in Washington the union,
| in its circular, says: !
ION March % the Hay bill passed
the house and went to the senate. It
increased the standing army from 100,-
| 900 to 100000. the largest enlistment
which the adjutant general says can
be secured by all possible advertising.
| it increased the appropriation for the
! national guard from 100000 to $27,-
100000.
THE senate rejected the Hay bill
as too moderate. Its substitute the
Chamberlain bill provides for:
Two hundred fifty thousand in the
regular army serving five years.
Two hundred siXty-one thousand in
a volunteer army, serving thirty days
year.
Two hundred eighty thousand in the |
national guard; and
A school reserve. training boys over |
Is in military tactics, with army Off !
GERS and equipment. enticing them to |
summer camps on regular army pay, |
and making them then available, when |
they reach the age OF IS, for war or |
threatened war at the presidents call; |
A military spoils system in the |
civil service, by which soldiers who |
have served six years, upon examina- |
ton by a military board and without |
the now required examination by civil !
authorities. shall be appointed to va
cancies in the civil service.
Mr.. Chamberlain estimates the cost |
of his plan at $3.50, 10000 a year: lase |
years appropriation was s102, 000. GEO." !
go
II will be recalled that the big meet |
ing at the Coliseum in Des Moines was !
started off by DR.. A. A Berle OF Cam
bridge. Mass. In a letter in the Spring
field, Mass, Repu bIican, he makes 70.
port on the journey" into and thru the
midland region. with interesting side
lights as to. his Impressions. AT the
outset he states the purpose OF the pill
grimage: -rx~ .-. -. 4
"Our campaign was against militarism
mot against reasonable, rational pre-
paration for the wise and necessary
needs of the country on the side OF
military equipment. Nobody proposed
Tolstoian pacifism-everyhody opposed
militarism."
Then as to impressions on the trip
he wrote:
Now what did the pilgrimage show,
from our point Of view, and on the face
Of what We met and saw? First thai
the average American has no objection
to reasonable military and naval es-
Establishment. But he il not crazy on
the subject and the preparedness
"a cket has been so over-worked that
it has produced its natural reaction.
The American people are not ready to
continue vast expenditure for the BEN
eft of a group OF men whose record
shows that their patriotism is at least
open to suspicion. They are not ready {
to strike a blow at the merit system.
as proposed in the Chamberlain bill, by
railroading soldiers into the civil SER
vice. without adequate examination.
They are not ready to adopt the mill
tary ideals Of Europe for democratic
America"
DR.. Berle compliments the Des
Moines newspapers. deservedly so, for
| their fairness in giving publicity in
advance to the meeting. On this point
he said:
This letter is to outline substantial
ly what happened by an eyewitness !
for historical purposes. This Is the
more necessary, because Of the I'M
animty with which the press OF the
cities mentioned, with few honorable
exceptions, denied to the pilgrimage
the publicity to which by its very mass
it was entitled, as the subsequent rec
| ord will show. The press of the city
| of Des Moines was the honorable ex-
ception. for in that city all the pa
pers, tho not agreeing with US, never
theless took the honorable and patrio-
tic ground that a public issue of THIS
| importance was worthy Of the atten-
! ton Of all its citizens. In every other
city there were evidences that there
was a deliberate purpose, first, to ig-
more and then to distort the proceed
ings. Nobody objects to oppo-
sition. Nobody objects even to decent
Misrepresentation. Nobody objects to
i ~. - 4 II