The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-03
fFrorn the Committee on Public In
formation, 10 Jackson Place,
washington, d. CD
(By John Spargo.'

II
an ardent anti-milttarist and pacifist.
For more than quarter of a century
have gladly given myself unreserv-
(edly to the war upon war.
/ am still an ardent anti-militarist
and pacifist. hate war as much as
ever I did. Above all else I want to
see peace securely established.
ess Nevertheless, confess that at this
time 1 am more afraid of a. Prussian
peace than / am of a continuance of
the war, horrible as that is. Prussian
j miIitarisn seeking to shape the con-
dftions of world Is more to be feared
than when it is sharpening its sword
for war.
The essence of Prussian militar1sm
is this: It organizes all the resources
of civilization to the end Of establish
ing dominion over all peoples. With
lhendtsh ingenuity It has perverted to
that ignoble and base end all the finest
achfeveunents of cilized man. In
! order that these mighty forces may be
made of benefit to all mankind, ana
that the freedom of all peoples may be
secured. and fraternal cooperation be
substituted for brute force in the
ORGANIZATION of the life of the world,
Prussian militarism must be de-
stroyed.
If I am asked whether militarism
is only dangerous when it is Prussian;
whether it is not q fact that French
.uailitardsn, British mflitarism, and how
American militarism, are equally per-
Ijlous and objectionable. answer that
the essence of militarism lies not in
the possession Of trained armies, well
equipped. It lies, rather, in the de-
iferr,7iuatd6n to use these forces for
.conquAst and dominion.
AT present England is a great army
camp. Industrially it is vast ar
senal- But England has not organ
lied her resources for the purpose OF
4 conquest and dominion. Instead, she
has created the vast military machine
4 she has in order to protect herself and
4 her neighbors against Germany's ag-
gression England has become great
military nation, temporarily, but she
u not . mdltaristic nation
France, too has been forced to
abandon her normal pursuits and to
develop her military power to an ex-
tent undreamed of, but France is not
"a mffitaristic nation.
The American people find them
selves in position similar to the po-
sition Of France and England. Hating
WAR and militarism, as our history
Icleariy and abundant1y proves, we
have been compelled to develop an
enormous army in order to protect
the rights and the lives of our citizens
and those international principles and
institutions, without which civiliza-
ton cannot be maintained We have
no desire tod ominate the world. We
seek no ACKNOWLEDGMENT, no annexa-
itions of territory, no commercial ad-
lvantaxes. We do not even seek re-
venKe for the wrongs we have suffer-
ed at the hands of Germany. Our sole
\ purpose il the establishment of the
+ secarfty OF all nations against the law
4 less and despotic conduct of nation
which acknowledges no right save
nniR71t the great power which despises
the methods of civilization and insists
upon the methods of barbarism.
" MiIftarism Is repugnant to us. We
4 prefer the plow to the sword. We are
happier IN the triumphs Of industry
4 than IN the triumphs Of war. We fight
only because we must. because the
areumsnt OF brute force Is the only
Iareunsnt the Prussian barbarism can
comprehend or respect.
If peace were made today upon the
terms which Prussia has caused to be
tcircu1afed throughout the Worio
tthere could be NO guarantee that the
peace would be enduring. me vas'
iPrusaian military machine would be
{kna<ntadned- Still all the resources OF
lthe German Empire would be organ
lied TOR the purpose OF dominating
lRnd ruling the life of the world and
q sub5ecttng all nations to the will
land purpose Of Germany. Under such
}oend1xtons no nation which preserved
FHet sshrespect and love OF
1u1ependemce which are essen
<1&1 10 freedom and progress
rzou1d dare lessen It's arma-
lnsntE- To do so would pc equlvalen'
tfo buzoide. The nations would nave
10 couttnue to waste their substance
n nlsftaxy preparations against the
tnsg4abls Gay OF German assault.
ne United States. wnicn mas never
:herrecfore maintained an army OF any
size, would have 70 maintain as par
5of ne permanent organlzatlon a vas
iaruU, capable OF meeting any otne1
vast army. It would have to enter
into alliances with other nations al
5mezns OF protecting 1tseir asains'
other alliances The Prussian peace
siwould thus fasten upon US, ana upor
all ofher nations. military ourden al
fgreRt az that which the war has forc'
ed upon as and them