The Detroit times., 1916-05-19
SAYS Nation Faces
Third Great Crisis

Ooy - ANosAON e
Third Great Crisis
day, the peace at-any-prlce men
however well-meaning. are the splr-
itual and moral heirs of the men who
dsnSuneed and MO- oPH1ssa wss ans
ed against Abraham Lincoln.
The issue is as clear cut In TINS
year 1915 as IL was in 1851 or ltIe
In the history OF this country this
IL the third great crisis and IL coin
| cides with a tremendous world cris-
Is. The issue liz: Are we prepared
with sane and iotty .aeai ssrnic TO y, y,
mankind by rendering ourselves NJ
for our own service, or are We con-
tent TO avoid effort and labor In the
path that China has trodden.
We must choose one course or the
other. The 81 Republicans who. the
other day: voted against I,, an ade-
sors OF the Republicans who. 70
| years ago. In congress voted for All
kinds OF half measures which they
| hoped would convince the free silver
| people that we were TO have the un-
limited coinage OF silver. and would
convince. the other people that We
/ were not TO have IL.
| But when the time came. when the
lines were drawn. and the battle was
| on, IL became perfectly evident that
the only way TO beat the free silver
| the gold standard without ~quivoca-
| ton or timidity. The effort 10 avoid
a tight on the currency. and MAKE
| the fight only on the tarin was a
1 failure. Let us to-day pront by their
| In any serious crisis there are AL
ways men who try to carry water
| TO escape the hard necessity OF choice
between two necessarily opposite AL
ternatives. by trying TO work Up
Some compromise. IL n true that IN
1 ordinary political matters compromise
II essential. IL IL true that In ordi-
nary times IL liz essential But there
come great crises when compromise
| one OF those crises. The only right
1 principle is 10 prepare thoroughly or
| not at all. The only right principle
Is to avoid hitting IL 1t Is possible
/ to do so. but never under any circum-
stances 20 hit soft. To go TO war a
little. but not much. is the one alb
II soluteiy certain way 70 ensure dis.
aster. To prepare little but not
developing a fire DEPARTMENT which.
II after n fire occurs can put IL out a
II little. but not mucn.
II Yet at this moment the majority
/ OF our political leaders either keep
| silent on the vital issues before our
people. or else engage in conflicts
A
cause the men ranged on one side adj
vocate total unpreparedness and the
men ranged on the other side ner-
vousiy deny that they desire any real
| Such a condition OF affairs speaks
| badly for this nation. I say this
nation" advisedly mean you and
| me, my fellow countrymen. There
fore. 1 wish you 10 understand that
| I am putting the blame primarily on
us. the people. on us ourselves; al.
though Il is necessary. IN. order to
avoid circumlocution. that J speak AZ
| times OF our governmental agents
We, through our representatives.
al Washington. have absolutely re-
pare during these 22 months Of world
cataclysm. We have refused to
learn the smallest part of the les
son being written on the scroll Of
deavored TO deceive ourselves by an
nouncing that In this policy OF su-
| pine inaction and or failure 10 per
| form duty. We are actuated by the
ioftiest motives. I doubt whether we
have really deceived ourselves, and
most certainly we have not deceived
| others.
The net result is that there has
been no preparedness 40 far. Com
gress Is still in the conversational
stage.
ton Of the political wisdom OF those
declining 10 take such action that
thereby they would favorably impress
our home pacifists. This hope has
result The ultra-pacI fists. as rep
resented by Mr.. Ford, have made
their great showing precisely be,
rssein, there nat been ne hem rhs
administration at Washington. back
ed by the maturity OF congress. has
taken no step for preparedness. and
our national rights. II has stood for
applied pacifism, as far as deeds are
concerned. The ultra-pacifsts oh
ject even to make-believe prepared
ness. They insist on even more thor
ough- going heelplessness than that
which we had so amply provided al
Washington. Although our govern;
mental representatives have been ~
per cent feeble, the ultra-pa cifisti
have demanded a clear 100 per cent
OF futilty and feebleness, and hav,
conducted their campaigns under
various banners TO achieve this pur'
pose.
There IL only one way to oppose a
policy. that Is inherently wrong an'
J that Is by opposing II with every
ounce Of earnestness. every ounce oi
: energy the man possesses. IL we be
, lieve that the most certain way fol
US to insure peace IL to he prepared
!, for war. and 10 have il known tina
. we are prepared for war. then let VI
whole-heartedly advocate such
I policy. not n little, not with tremor
: and gaspings but fully and absolute
. ly.
The party that has fun conhdenc
h I'm it's own policies aud n concede'
!, purpose TO put these policies into 81
: feet Will sooner or later get the PEG
y pic TO back it--provided the policie
!, are sound.
. There are, at this time two grea
4 issues before us both insepara hl
. bound together. They arc the issue
Z OF Americanism and Preparedness,
Z As a people we have 10 decide wheth
2 er we are TO be In good faith pee
g pie and able and ready to take car
OF ourselves: or whether we dout
our national unity and fear TO pre-
I pare, and intend instead to trus
partly to q merciful Providence an
partly to elocutionary ability , !
n high places. Those in power a
washington have taken the, latte
position. The followers OF Mr.. For
In the Republican primaries hav
taken what IN In reality the SAM
position. What stand do the oppon
ents OF this position Intend 10 take
| why should the people change ,theiI
government IL they are merely "a
change slightly the degree or nm.
prepsredness? The only sufficient
reason for change would be 10 In
augurate a policy OF real and thor
ouGhGoinG preparedness from the top
10 the bottom. preparedness to defend
ourselves In war. preparedness 20 DO
well and Justly our normal work OF
peace. We must maxi this nation az
stronG rs are its convictions IN ref
,erence 20 right and wrong. con.
-. = a.. - a. H.