The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-12-22
lEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Demosthenes and Preparedness

Demosthenes was one of the greatest orators
OF the world and also farseeing Greek states
man. He found his people asleep and apathetic
toward an armed invasion OF their country py the
Macedonans under Philip
Demosthenes set out to arouse them and so
he delivered series of orations which have gone
down in history as the 'phiiipplcs. The orator
was an apostle of preparedness.
writer in the North American Review, re-
calling the similarity between conditions in
Greece back in $50 B. c. and in the United States
today, presents extracts of the philippics as an
exhortaton to the American people
Just as the Greeks believed the danger far
off and not pressing, so many of us have been
lulled into the sleep of false security. Just as
the Greeks believed that nation had time
enough to prepare when the foe was at its from
tier so some Americans believe that the wide en-
panse of the Atlantic will keep Germany from our
shores.
Here's what Demosthenes had to say about
Athenian unpreparedness:
You have never, Athenans, made the
necessary dispositions in your affairs, nor
armed yourselves in time you
have departed, Athenians, from the plan
OF government which your ancestors lald
down. You are persuaded by your lead
ers that to be the first among the Greeks,
to keep up your forces ready to redress the
injured, is an unnecessary and vain eX-
pense. You are taught to think
that to be free from public cares, to aban-
don all your interests, one by one prey
to the vigilance and craft of others, is to be
perfectly happy and absolutely secure.
If some Of us love the flesh pots more than
we love the hardships of military life, let us be
turned from our false ways by this exhortation
of the orator:
It is beneath the dignity of the state,
beneath the glory of your ancestors to
abandon all the rest of Greece to slavery
for the sake of private ease. L. for my
part would rather die than propose such
conduct. IT, we all foresee that the farther
this man Philip is suffered to extend nls
conquests the more dangerous enemy
must find in him. why this delay? Why
is our duty evaded, or when will we be dis
posed to exert ourselves? Must
essty press us? What one may call the ne
cessity of freemen not only presseth us
now, but has been long since felt; that OF
slaves, it is to be hoped, may never ap-
proach Ms.
Demosthenes knew that there were traitors
in the Athenian camp men who openly espoused
the cause of Philip men who secretly wished
him success, men who were plotting the destruc-
ton Of their fatherland Here's his advice to the
4Athenians:
Since then, your are engaged in de-
Tense of all that is dear to you, apply to
the great work with an attention that is
worthy Of the Importance of it. Let the
wretches who have openly sold themselves
to this man be the object of your abhor-
renee. let them meet with the utmost Sc
verify of public justice, for you will not,
you cannot conquer your foreign enemies
until you have punished those that lurk
within your walls. No, they will even
prove so many obstacles to impede your
progress and to give our enemies the
periority. When your decree for war
hath once passed. let there be no dispute
whether it ought or not have been under
taken
Let those of us who cherish the false doc
trine that the United States should not have en-