The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-03-01

The only advocate of some stand ing among the preparationists who supports the application of the Swiss system to the United States is Theodore Roosevelt. When he and others proposed such a system it was almost unanimously de- gpunced by the Naval and Security Leaguers.
 The reason for their opposition was because it would leave tho guns and ammunition in the hands of the workers and you couldn't trust them. They might turn the guns against their employers. They so stated.
 Surely there is food for thought in such a repugnance and for such a reason for distrusting the working class with arms and ammunition. Conditions are such that they dare not trust them to uphold them, nay that, like as not, they would use their arms and ammunition to demo- fish the system that exploits them.
 Moreover, we sec that it is care fully arranged that the officers class in the army under all the moe ac- ceptGble plans will be taken from the employing classes. There will be no provision made whereby the business men will fill the rGnks and the workers here and there also hold officers positions.
 The entire conception of prepared r.Ii9ss that is now finding favor is,sin point of fact, utterly undemocratic and strictly oligarchie. One class, the employing cla5s, is to be trusted with control of the entire system, the other is to furnish the material for gun fodder.
 There are just two phases of the preparedness system which should be fully explained and which have advocates.
 The first is the relation of the mu- nitionist manufacturers to the en- tire scheme, and tho second the double entendre of the movement as far as the working class is con- cernod.
 If it is intended for domestic troubles even more than for for eign troubles, it is certainly worth explaining why it's plans are buily npon such oligarcbic princil les.
 As a matter Of f. ct no o%p!ana- tion, will be forthcoming, instea under the guise of patriotism, the workers and others arc to have foisted upon them huge military establishment utterly, as George Washington long ago pointed out, at variance with the democracy of Am erica.
 For all these reasons it is beyoni doubt refreshingly humorous to have a man like Gompers demand for the American Federation of Labor that the federalized militia will not be used in strike duty. AS a matter of fact what other duty has the mill tia performed in the United States since the Spanish American war? In Colorado, Michigan, West Virginia, New Jersey, New York and lot or other states too numerous to men tion. the militia proved the allest factor in bull-dozing tho strikers into submission. And it is because it is as much preparedness against the strikers of tho future as pre- paredness against any foreign | foe. that the employers want it a strong federalized force which can be recruited with the strength ot l all the regulars if need be in case of serious economic troubles, and no such thing as the democratic Swiss system.
 Frankly we cannot see any possible i European foe threatening America. | Not Germany, not Great Britain, not France. not Russia anG not even Japan from Asia. -ifks
 But we can very plainly see that troubles may arise at home. Condi- tions from time to time as exposed i for example at Bayonnc. or Roos } welt or in Colorado may costly force a strike. Organization may readily force that strike to become general, ,gunmen employed by tho bosses car sssiiy force the strikers to self pro