Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-27
7. R. ASKS FOR
UNITY IN WAR
Former President Declares
L. S. Is Miracle of
Inefficiency

patriotism, filled with devotion to
america, advocating universal obli-
gatory service, urging abstinence
from alcohol and deploring the fact
that America should be saved by the
arms of other nations when it could
easily protect itself, Colonel Roose-
welt delivered an address to a crowd
which packed Grant street, between
Diamond street and Fifth avenue
yesterday. During the day he visited
two local armories and addressed the
directors of the Chamber of Com
merce and participated in the gigan-
tic parade of the Loyal Order of
Moose in the evening.
The big event of the former Pres
ident's visit, the address delivered
at the courthouse, attracted the at
tention of visiting Moose and thou
sands of downtown workers, who not
alone filled the street, but occupied
the adjoiing Office buildings for sew
eral stories.
Old-timc Applause For Teddy
When Colonel Roosevelt stepped
on the platform the crowd broke
into thunderous applause which last
ed several minutes. His address last
ed one hour and twenty-five min
utes and replete with the spectacu
lar.
Despite the heavy street car and
Vehicular traffic the Colonel seemed
to be perfectly content. Interrupted
frequently by applause he beamed
on the wide eXpanse of faces as he
drove home point after point with
forceful gestures and the proverbial
pep" With face at times contorted
and fists clenched the Colonel fire.
quently stirred the immense crowd
into thunderous applause as he
drove home a point. He said in
part:
I'VE have not enough rifles for
our men. We are painfully short in
equipment. We have not yet begun
to assemble the draft army, the first
elementary officers training camps
have not been finished, the National
Guard has only just begun to mob
ilize.
I'VE have put a fragment of our
fine little regular army into France,
and, as it is composed almost eX-
clusively of infantry without artil-
lery, it would be helpless against
any equipped enemy were it
not for our allies.
This is the sum total of the ac-
tivities of a nation of 100,000,00O
people, and in possession of meal
culable wealth and boundless re-
sources, during the six month fol-
lowing its entry (after two and one
half years warning) into the great
est war in history.
Miracle of InefIiciency
The simple truth is that rela-
lively to the other great nations of
the world, we have in this war eX-
hibited ourselves a miracle of in
efficiency; and we shall always be
inefficient during the first vital
months of any war until we learn to
prepare in advance.
1T is this utter unpreparedness
which should convey the real lesson
to us of this war. And remember
that as yet we as a people, acting
through our governmental authori-
ties, have not taken one step to avert
disaster, in the future by introduc-
ing a permanent policy of prepared
ness. The measures under which we
are now acting are temporary make
shifts, announced to be such. We
have been caught utterly unprepared
in terrible emergency because we
did nothing until the emergency ac-
tually arose and now, our govern
ment announces that what we are
doing is purely temporary; that we
shall stop doing it as soon as the
GISGuCN Is over, ana Will InGn re-
main equally unprepared for the
next emergency.
1T is this blind refusal-from the |
Nations standpoint l can only call it
the criminal refusal-to provide for
the future that forces every honest
and farsighted lover of America to
speak.
we cannot afford to count for our
safety on anything but our own
armed strength; the only way TO
make our strength effective is to
make it ready in advance; and the
only way really to make ready in ad-
vance is TO introduce the principle
of obligatory universal military
training in time of peace for our
young men, and universal service in
time of war for every man and wom-
an in the country, in whatever posi-
ton that man or woman can do
most effective work. This is the only
democratic system"
"At this moment our policy should
consist in wholeheartedly bending our
every effort to win an overwh Ginning
triumph in the war. We are for the
time being safe behind the rampant of
the British fleet and of the French
and British armies. 1t is CALLING thus
to owe our safety to others: but let
us at least bend all our energies to
developing our might so that in our
turn we may be able to guarantee
safety to ourselves and triumph to
our allies. We would not have time