The Washington times., 1916-01-17
DEFENSE PLEA MADE
AS CIVIC BODY MEETS
Preparedness Urged in Striking
Phrases at Opening Session
of National Federation.
Continued from First Pagel

tCQntlnueU I"O1T1 flrSt THke''
department, Of which Mrs. Archibald
Hopkins is chairman.
Seth Low urged TIE young men of
this country to be ready to defend tho
colors He said the military training
they would receive would aid them in
everyday occupatic ms and that 1t woul1
he of marked benefit to the industrial
life of the nation.
Changes which have come about in
transportation and communication have
made the United States far more
vulnerable than ever before. he said.
He urged support of the Administra-
tion's program. not because u is deal Ien,
~ perfect" but because v Is lohs
step in the right direction
Favor Swiss System.
az believe that a short service uncer
the colors. or, the Swiss system,' lie
said. "mcdihed to meet our conditions,
should be required Of every young man
in the United States, and that we
should not longer depend upon an AIRY
which. as in England. strengthens tho
view that 1t is the business Of a few t2
protect all. rather than the business oil
all to protect each other.
The magnitude of the European strrG-
gle is such. he argued. that 1t will have
a profound effect upon even the nom
Combatant nations. ~
"If democracy triumphs,' ne said. 1t
how to be efficient; If miiitar'sm NIT ~
mist bow their necks to- tho yoke OF
militarism which will give the soldier
rather than tho citizen, the domination
of the future
He said that nowhere was the mill
tary spirit less dominAt than in
Switzerland. vet Switzeriants for her
protection was ailc to mobilize all rtr
men rs quickly as the most militaristic
nation.
German Army Democratic.
THE lesson that seems IL ms to ,ie
uation is this he said: That Ger
MANY has shown herself marreljusly
efficient. because. though urde" an au-
tocrat,c. form Of government; she las
made her arnv thoro, ghlv demOcrat5
in tho sense that il embraces the er-
tire manic cd OF the. nation. ..
This has resulted In spirit OF
ordination Of the individual to the
country's welfare, which is the ad-
miration and which ought to be the
Inspiration OF every nation in the
world.
"England. on the other hand. in the
name of democracy. has not only per-
mitted herself 20 be found unprepar-
cd to cope with the problems Of her
environment but. while adhering to
the system OF a voluntary army, she
has ENCOURAGED the development Of
class interests"
Mr.. Low nointed to the danger Of
foreign sympathy among immigrants
and suggested military service as the
way to insure the loyalty OF new
comers.
Women Concerned.
preparedness against war concerns
the women OF this country" said Miss
Wetmore.
"They are the ones who carry the
heavy burdens Of catastrophe. In war
and In disaster the women and chill
dren are left unprovided. unprepared
Yet there IL an unpreparedness we
know OF and which has become 40
familiar to us that our senses are
numb; the unpreparedness OF citizen
ship. 1t seems an odd way to put it.
but how many hundreds OF thousands
Of men and women are Indifferent to
the vital national questions OF the
day becaut, Of tho walls Of ignorance
which surround them?"
Patriotism cannot be acquired IN n
day. Miss Wetmore said. and she made
a plea for patriotism above person
al and individual self interest"
First, we must know ourselves"
perils that Srrround u.s.
That judges be chosen apart from
politics and that the legislative and
he sharply defined. was the gist OF the
address of Thomas w. Shelton. chair
man of the Uniform Law Committee
OF the American Bar Association.
Must Be Given Power.
Courts must be permitted. to MAIN
tain their own efficiency," he said. in
discussing the dangers of Congressional
interference with the judiciary.
The power to direct effort is the
power to dictate result" he added.
Louis B. Schram. chairman OF the
National Committee for the Prevention
OF Industrial Accidents, urged that more
illuminating statistics be gathered upon
the subject.
While doing everything possible FOR
the mechanical prevention of accidents"
he said, we ought to keep under con-
sideration the complete problem by re-
quiring data that bears on proximate
we'll as immediate causes OF acci-
dents"
He mentioned eye-strain. speed or
work. fatigue, and exhaustion as some
OF these indirect causes.
Monday carries the peak load OF ac-
cidents. with the inference of Sunday
dissipation he said.
He said that, while twenty-six States
have accepted the principles of work.
mems compensation. only one has
asked anything about the condition or
lighting and but thVe asked for an
more important of the hidden causes
OF industrial accidents, he sa.d. Is
fatigue. and only two States ask for
such information. Another cause is In
experience in the work performed and
New York is the only State which In
qulres into that.
Helped Legislators.
August Belmont. in making his report
as chairman of the workmen's COM
pensation department. said his depart
ment had been constantly active in
helping legislators plan drafts of COM
Densation laws and in helping boards
have charge OF the enforcement Of exist
ing laws.
BEGINNING with the year 1905" he
said, I'VE have been continuously an
active educational agency, developing
new drafts of model State laws in the
. interest Of uniformity as changing
events warranted such ac ion"
District Section of
Federation Is Praised
For Work of Year