Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-14
NATION MUST ARM,
ASSERTS Mr.. REED
Senator Tells Chamber of
Commerce Americas Safety
Lies in Real Preparedness.
LOCAL COURTS SWAMPED

Urging his auditors never to forget
that America is the real home OF hui
1nanity and freedom, Senator James A.
Reed of Missouri made n stirring APP
peal for military preparedness before
. members of the Chamber of Commerce
at meeting last night.
Senator Reed recalled some of the
things which England has done and
: asked what was to be expected of other
nations if Great Britain. supposed to
be the most civilized In Europe. did
these things. He made plea for every
man and woman in the United States
to work for national military pre-
paredness and thereby prevent the desc
Grafton OF this country by foreign spoil
ere.
citing the changes which have taken
place in the last hundred years, and
saying that the shores of America are
against the shores OF Europe to all
practical purposes, Senator Reed point
ed out that the wars of today are not
wars of armies, as in the past, but are
wars OF the entire peoples.
To-day not only the men capable of
bearing arms. but the women and chill
dren, and even the animals. are mob
flized,'' he declared. I'VE have under
gone not an evolution, but a revolu-
ton. This country must be prepared
to meet these new conditions.
Nations Like Humans.
YOUR life as nation depends upon
our ability to maintain ourselves. I
would like to be TRANSPORTED and I
would like to believe the world had
been TRANSPORTED, but so long as I
know the average human being is COM
posed of good and in part of bad; so
'1ong as the average human being is
gentle and humane at some times, but
= ferocious and dangerous at other times.
so long will l know the same to be true
of nations"
Abiding to kings and mona rchs who
have blasphemed God by saying He has
appointed them to rule over men," Sen
ator Reed pointed out that eff you read
history you may find blood splotches
on every page"
Let us have some sense: let US en-
ploy reason and experience" he urged.
England has been held up as n type
of Christian natioH-a civilized people.
Yet how long ago has it been since the
Chinese philosophers and leaders begged
her, DO not force your opium upon our
people? Their reply, heard in the rum
bic OF the cannons, was to take our
opium or take our grapeshot.' L do not
say this because I hate England, but
if England did this what would others
do?''
After reciting the conquest of South
Africa by England and the attempt of
the French to establish themselves in
Mexico. Senator Reed continued:
II am bound to say that in the past
there has been no such thing as an in
ternational conscience. We cannot find
a love of monarchs for U.S. Monarchs
do not love republics. else they would
not rule over Kingdoms
He declared that in the old days sue
cessful robbers had built themselves
barons. They taught each other to fight
and rob, he said. and in choosing those
for higher places had always been care
full to choose those skilled in these acts
Plea for Readiness,
! After speaking of the changes which
have come in warfare, and saying it
requires as much skill to operate a
modern battery as to run machine
shop. he made a plea to be ready for
any emergency.
II hear people say, I don't want to
wallow in blood said Senator Reed.
Il don't want to wallow in blood, either,
but as an American citizen, l say if we
must wallow in blood. let 1t not all be
that drawn from American boys"
No enemy is SO dangerous. he said.
as those who would not have this ma
ton adequately prepared, and who
would send out unframed, half-armed
American boys to die when they have
right to live. The way to make GER
tain that America would not be modest
ed, he said, was to let the people of
other nations know that if they came
to these shores to fight they would
never return.
Il appeal to American citizens not to
turn their backs upon the high ethics
and principles of peace, but at the same
time never to forget that this is the
real home of humanity and freedom,
and we must be prepared"
H H. Classic during a momentary
oreak In the applause made a motion
for rising vote of thanks to Mr.. Reed,
but before President A. Leftwich Sin,
clair had opportunity to put the ques-
tion the assemblage was standing and
did not cease applauding until Senator
Reed had left the room to hurry back
to the Capitol, where he was engaged
in committee work.
Cites Need Of More Judges.
Upon motion of w. c. Sullivan. chair
Snan Of the committee on municipal
legislation. a resolution was adopted
calling for a report by the proper COM
Inittee on the status of legal business
before the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict of Columbia. James S. Easby-
smith, president of the District Bar
| association. who was invited by Pres
ldent Sinclair to speak on this subject,
tolo OF the great amount of business
now before this court and said two adj
ditional judges are needed 1t is prac-
tfcally impossible to have a civil case
heard In less than two years, because
OF the volume of business being trans
acted. he said This, he said. was really
a denial of Justice
Upon motion OF a. NJ. Fisher, chair
man of the committee on transporta-
ton and freight rates, it was decided
| the Chamber Of Commerce should have
representatives at the hearing before
the interstate commerce commission to
protest against any increase in rates
on coal entering, the District
Solos were sung by James X. Young
and Earl Carbaugh, accompanied by
Byron Blodgett. a buffet supper was
served