Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-09
PaCificists Protest
 Defense Program
WARN MILITARY COMMITTEES
 NOT TO BE sTAMPEDED
TERM IT UNWARRANTED
Claimed They Represented 100000 Farmers, the Working People (Not Organized Labor) and the Voting Women of the country-opposed to Expenditures.

Washington, Feb. S.-Pacifcists. who said they represented the farmers. working people and voting women of the country today warned senate and house military committees against be- ing stampeded into what they term ed Cnwarranted appropriations for military preparedness.
 Dangerous Programme of Expansion"
 The antipreparedness committee, of which Lillian D. Wald of New York, is chairman, introduced itself to the com- mittee as an organization of American citizens formed to protest against a
 dangerous programme of military and naval expansion, to divert the public mind from those preparations for that world peace which it might be our country's privilege to initiate at the close of the war
 In addition to Miss Wald, opposition to Swar preparations was voiced by
 John B. Lennon, treasurer of the American Federation of Labor. James
 H. Maurer, preside1s of the Pennsyl-
 vania Federation of Labor, Mrs. Flor ence Kelley, Frank Dornblazer, a di-
 rector of the National Farmers' union and Sara. Bard Field, of California Wo- man Voters association. message
 also was received from Governor Cap per of Kansas, endorsing the plans of the committee, which include a public investigation of past appropriations,
 
 recent demand for an increase in mili-
 tary expenditures and the elimination of private profit from armament man. ufactUre.
 Appeared For Working Glasses. MT. Maurer, who said he was a ma | chinist, who had been in constant touch with large organizations of la boring men, met with repeated ap- | plause from the crowd in the commit | tee rooms composed of about equal l numbers of men and women. He spoke | he explained, not for organized labor | but for the working classes, and charg- ed that the present call for arms was | inspired by those, who were making | immense profits, selling ammunition | and who at the close of the European war will want a large army and navy
 to enforce .Ehe collection of the money | owed them by bankrupt nations "1'he working people will not con-
 sent to fight such a war; he said. "In- 1 stead of spending more money, think congress had better investigate the money already spent The people | have believed we were prepared We
 were told we were the greatest power | on earth. Less than two years ago we were told we could beat Germany
 and Mexico at the same time.
 Told Our Old Boats Are Tubs. Now, suddenly, we are told our boats are old tubs, our army help | less. There were no rumors of war two years ago, when Germany and
 Austria were in the best condition of | their history. If felt now that those | dying nations could thrash us. I would
 be ashamed to admit was an Ameri- | can.
 | We of the working classes who must fight these battles want to know
 what what you know of them. President l Wilson tells us there may be a great conhagration tomorrow The Ameri-
 can people want to know what dang | CT they are in.
 If we fear Great Britain, why per
 init our American capitalists to con-
 unue to equip that nation with arms | The workingmen will refuse to he | cannon fodder for their wars and then | be called on to pay the bills too. If
 1t Is right to take the workingman's
 life 1t Is right to take the rich mans | fortune. What is there for the West | Virginia coal miners to fight for? The only way you can get the work | 1ngmen to enlist Is to provide each | one with the best possible rifle, a
 thousand rounds of ammunition and
 homes. Then I'll promise there will be ! no invasion"
 Investigation of Past Expenditures. | Mrs. Kelley repeated the demand for | an investigation of past expenditures | If money is squandered everywhere as
 It is Tn the old unnecessary army bar
 racks, why should we give more?' she asked. When we thought we were be- Ing prepared and safeguarded, the money went into obsolete army bar
 racks. and inaccessible navy yards"
 100000 Farmers Demand Economy. MT. Dornblazer said two million
 farmers were behind a resolution he presented demanding economy in the
 expenditure of funds. opposing an in- | a a n | O reasonable expenditure for coast | guards and submarines and ob1ecting l to a large standing army or compul- | sorry military service.
 | Miss Field attributed the opposition | to preparedness reported to exist in | the middle west to the advent of | western women in politics They realized the need of money for con structive things, she said, more than | for war, She disputed an assertion | of Senator Hitchcock, that wars came | without warning as a result of great | national catastrophes or wrongs. Ware Not Spontaneous. "They are spontaneous only to those who do the fighting" she said. 'srhe capitalists and miIitarists know when
 the yare coming; The records of the | trolling classes knew as long as two | years before almost to a day when the | first move would be made" National erense Makes Protests. | John A. McSparin, representing the | Pennsylvania state grange and member of the legislative committee | of the National grange, declared the l farmers of the country were against any unusual increase in appropriations for the army and navy.
 Other representatives of the national grange and farmers union also voiced what they said was the opposition of
 farmers to great army and navy ap- proprdations.
 Mcvemsnts Of eteamshIpe. New Yorie., Fob. s-Saiied: Steamer