Arizona republican., 1917-09-26

of representatives of American Big Business. They desire huge military expansion following the in the United States
 In hearty cooperation with this movement of large business interests many of the most important professional army officers.
 Capper's Weekly receives the literature of this organization regularly.
 urged by this organization that "the principle of universal military training (conscrpton-the basis of Prussanism) should be adopted as a permanent policy and put into effect BEFORE THE WAf ENDS"
 By clinching this policy "before the war ends" ii will be impossible to carry the declared purposes of the United States and the Allies in the peace con- gress.
 The for this uterance is the following recent statement by army officer at Ft. Riley
 For thing it undoubtedly means the end of the national guard organizations another thing will be large standing army, of 50O000 1,OOO,O0O men, and the third and prob ably the most important change, will be compulsory military training for all young
 This program, says the Weekly surpasses defnlahy in militarism and asks If following the defeat of Prussia the United States is to have standing army o half million million and universal mlli- tary training why, then, the worlds democracies Will ask, did the United States engage in war at all? II the United States is to have such a military estap- shment is certain that Germany need only to polnt this country a complete convert to Prussan faith and practice"
 We think the Weekly attaches too great importance to the statement of this inconspcuous army officer whoever he may be. Though doubt he is Of a type and represents a sentiment quite prevalent among army men, he and all army officers who entertain that sentiment will be no more able to give it force than would an equal number of men who loaf about the corner grocery the while they discuss and litter the floor with tobacco juice and shavIngs To the army officer, though the Weekly may not know it, the in hi ation to the standing army, universal training, but the abolition of the national guard.
 Five years ago, three years ago. two years ago ana one year ago. the subject of national preparedness involving universal training and service was proper matter for consideration. We settled it the wrong way by doing nothing and now paying and will pay the awful penalty. We are making a costly but the only, repair can make of our mistake
 The time though, has passed, only temporarily for further consideration of the subject Events have put in in abeyance. But we cannot yet permanently dismiss it. The disposition of it will de- pend upon other events
 If all that Lloyd George, President Wilson and Premier Ribot have declared be the result of the war is realized there will longer be a need of mitarism If the world to be made up of loving derhocracies of course there be more fighting at least for awhile.
 But there IS one thing that cannot entHel9 nave escaped notice That is that while President Wilson has definitely spoken of disarmament one of the results of the war. No statesman of Great Britain has hinted the abolition material reduction of it's naval force after the From only quarters have we heard of disarmament-the Vatican and Washington.
 If the ends in a draw, there will be more militarism than Every great nation will be an armed camp. War and preparation for war will be as they must be- the chief occupation of
 If the war ends in the overthrow of Prussan- and the worldwide prevalence of democracy there will be a period of waiting in which cannot throw preparedness the wind We shall first want to see democracies behave toward another
 Zurich Switzerland, has been designated the Mole St Nicholas the Fl Paso of the present though it suffers somewhat from competition with Amsterdam, London, Paris and Petrograd. But the Zurich correspondent is a of no mean imaginative ability.