New-York tribune., 1917-07-27
Gifts of Money, Etc, He
Denounces as pawn
broker Patriotism"
Urges Profits Tax
Colonel Asserts None Has the
Right to Get Rich Out OF
Americas War

Pittsburgh, July 26.-Amid the cheers
of thousands of visitors gathered here
for the international convention Of the
LOYAL Order of Moose, former Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt to-day de-
clared the continuation Of universal
military training in the United States
after the war is the nations only Sc
curity against repetition of unpre-
paredness such as has handicapped the
country in the present crisis Inc
present situation, he said. amounts to
miracle of national ineficiency."
The Colonel assailed the theory that
the war can be financed by tremendous
tax on incomes and declared for heavy
and progressive taxes on excess prohts.
While a reasonable profit should be
given on government war contracts, ne
said. mo man in America has right
to become tremendously wealthy as
result Of this war"
1--WE are in war and our first ousl-
ness is to fight" said Colonel Roose-
welt. "Only few months ago | heard
people say they would give money,
potatoes and other things, but would
let some one else fight for them. This
is pawnbroker patriotism. The fore
most place in patriotism is that Of
the American VINO actually goes to
face the shells and cannon"
All His Kin LINED Up"
In another brief address earlier in
the day Colonel Roosevelt said all his
kin who were eligible had "lined up"
for military service, and that "it isn't
my fault that I'm not over there now"
A war relief fund of $55O,0O0 was
voted to-day by the convention. 1t
will be raised through a membership
assessment of 81 per capita.
A monster parade tonight in which
Mr.. Roosevelt appeared was the clos
ing feature of the days programme.
Points Out Shortcomings
Colonel Roosevelt summed up what
America had accomplished since the
declaration of a state of war with
Germany by saying that the United
States did not now have a single air
plane fit to send across the German
lines and that months must pass before
one could be manufactured. that Amer
lea had no heavy artillery to put IN the
battle --ne and that Major General
Pershing and his soldiers would have
TO trust to French and English guns.
r9n ~
ing with the British fleet constituted,
he said, only a tiny fraction of the
English force. II would be a year
after the declaration of war before
America would have a fair number OF
big cargo ships.
1--WE have not enough rifles for our
men," said Colonel Roosevelt. We are
painfully short in equipment. We have
not vet begun to assemble the draft
army, the first elementary officers
training camps have not been finished.
the National Guard has only just be-
gun to mobilize.
1--WE have put a fragment OF our hne
little regular army into France ana.
as il is composed almost exclusively OF
infantry without artillery. II would be
HELPLESS against any well equipped
enemy were il not aided by our alhes:
"This is the sum total OF tho actiyl-
ties of nation OF lOO,OOO.oOO people
and in possession OF lncalculaole
.ealth and boundlesS resources. during
Inc sixth months following its entry
after two and one-half years warn
ing) into the greatest war in history
Miracle of Inefficiency"
"The simple truth is that, relatively
to the other great nations of the world,
we have in this war exhibited our
selves miracle of ineffciency; and
we shall always be inefficient during
the first vital months of any war until
We learn TO prepare in advance.
at is this utter unpreparedness
which should convey the real lesson to
US of this war. And, remember that,
as yet we as q people, acting through
our governmental authorities, have not
taken one step to avert disaster in the
future by introducing permanent
policy of preparedness. The measures
under which we are now acting are
temporary makeshifts, announced to be
such.
"We have been caught utterly unpre-
pared in a terrible emergency because
we did nothing until the emergency
actually arose, and now, our govern
ment announces hat what we are
doing is purely temporary; that we
shall stop doing il as soon as the emer-
geney is over, and will then remain
equally unprepared for the next emer-
gency.
at is this blind refusal-from the
nations standpoint | can only call ii
the criminal refusal-to provide for
the future that forces every honest
and farsighted lover of America to
speak.
eve cannot afford TO count for our
safety on anything but our own armed
strength; the only way 70 make our
strength effective is TO make II ready
IN advance; and the only way really
20 make ready in advance is 20 intro
duce the principle Of obligatory uni
versal military training in time of
peace for our young men. and universal
service in time Of war for every man
and woman in the co/ntry, in whatever
position that nan or woman can do
most effective work. This is the only
democratic system"