The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-14

Chicago entered upon a vigorous
campaign of publicity on behalf OF a
better military organization OF the
United States. Street parades were
arranged. The newspapers were en-
listed, the department stores gave
holidays on condition that their en-
ployes march; railway officials and
bank directors lent their powerful
influence; and hundreds of thousands
Joined in the demonstrations. The lit
tie cities followed the big ones. Inc
county papers reprinted the stories of
the wonderful things which they found
in the columns of their exchanges.
Even President Wilson marched in a
parade.
The object of all these demonstra-
tons was primarily to stir UP and
consolidate support for the Republican
party and it's nominee. to defeat Will
son; and second. If that were done.
to build a stronger militarist party
which. combining all the larger liz.
dustrial and commercial Interest,",
would be able to organize the United
States for aggressive commercial
movements and at the same time mold
the older forces of the Republicans to-
gether in support of a militarist pro-
gram at home which should in the
event of war enable them to rally the
strength of n hundred million people
To Continue Propag anda.
The plan failed in the recent cleo
ton and sore OBSCURE cement cnar-
acterized remarks and attitude of the
greater business leaders of the East
and the Middle West for sometime af-
ter November Z, But able sni wealthy
men are not easily deferred from their
purpose There ire many who believe
row that they would have been suc-
( - l. - IL
| had only spent a little more money
in close states And nov they begin
again with devoted zeal and conae-
Grated purse
We see the fruits Of their activity
in every big city of the country. The
great daily papers print stories of the
! woful state sot unpreparedness of the
country every day Editorial comment
is not lacking. School boards are
besought to introduce military train
ing in the public schools and uni
versities are trying to induce their
students to submit to military drill.
Circular letters are written from New
York offices to teachers of history beg
ging them 20 revise our history in
order to emphasize the need o. stand
ing armies and disciplined popula-
ton. Somebody is putting plenty OF
money into the campaign and il seems
to go"
Wealth's Historic Role.
What does all this mean? Did the
wealth of the colonies flow into the
hands of the revolutionists of f176?
Did the New York and Philadelphia
bankers and manufacturers Of 1860
contribute of their millions toward the
! election, of Abraham Lincoln? One
! hardly needs TO answer these questions
with a negative. Such is not the his
torical role of great accumula of
wealth
/ But now. as In 1895, the conserva-
tive forces, the men OF whose income
run toward the millions. are profound
+ ly concerned in the policy of the coun-
/ try. They are willing TO spend what
ever amounts that may be found
necessary to accomplish their purpose.
( They are frightened by the war in
/ Europe: First, because 1t seems that
+ in some vague way the military pow
ers of the far side of the Atlantic may
speedily treat the United States to a
regime like that to which Belgium has
been subjected: and second. that there
must come labor or trade troubles IN
this country as soon as the great war
ends.
As to Standing Armies.
Now the people of the United States
( have inherited the "preiudices' OF the
English democracy against standing
armies. The menace of standing
army to them is a part of their creed
/ that cannot be lightly disposed Of.
Labor will have no such army; the
! farmer will not think OF universal SER
vice and the small business man will
NOT stand for the huge taxes which
armies involve. What shall be done
to reyolutionize the policy OF four hun
dred years and set all America TO
drilling like Prussia under Frederic
the Great?
The campaign which we see in every
morning paper is being waged 10 THAT
end Our people must first be scared
by pictures of the invasion that must
surely come for we are rich and
riches must attract robber nations
To this end the movie is now doing
yeoman service. Then we must be
made ashamed of our weakness"
And here we have the fine example of
/ Mexico whose bandit leaders come
over and rob us at will, The United
States navy is a mere joke and the
people must understand this. SO
j Josephus Daniels is made the butt of
every possible tale. Our whole history
has been one long military disgrace
and hence historians are now set TO
work to show 1t up" and warn future
generations to take a wiser course. the
course of Prussia.
ITO Arms. To Arms.!"
Next, every meeting that can be
improvised, every luncheon of business
men Is used. on occasion. to show that
we must arm; we must arm or we
shall go the way of Belgium or Serbia
On December / s MIR. Frank A. VAN
/ derlip declared to the Midday Club
lunchers in Chicago that universal
military service Is our only hope;
| Mr.. Lindley NJ. Garrison told the New
York Lawyers Club the same thing in
slightly different phraseology: and
the new Governor of Indiana urged
the assembled Governors of the States
in Washington to adopt resolutions
looking to the same end. Agitation,
expenditure of good money in hand.
, tampering with the curricula of the
colleges and the public schools and
stampeding Congress are their meth
DDS Sam Adams would be novitiate
in comparison to some of these
fomenters of social change ana revolu-
ton, for revolution Is their end. revo-
luton backwards.
All this would be absurd, but for
dangers Of 1t. The people have been
leased and coaxed into a feeling that
somehow we are in imminent peril