The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-11-23
OVER-CENTRALIZATTON
is CALLED A DANGER q
BY CONG. GREENE,
Speaker Also Urged the People Not to
Be Lulled Into False Feeling of
Security That "This Is
the Last War"


first district still is an earnest advocate
OF preparedness. He also is an un-
compromising opponent Of bureaucracy
IN government, but in an address at Ho-
tel Barre last night, following a lunch
con given by the Board of Trade, he
made it clear that the events Of the
great war have served to strengthen his
conviction that the United States, now
no longer an isolated figure in The family
of nations, must adopt universal mill
tary training if its future is to be Sc
cured. An audience of $50 men, who had
thoroughly enjoyed the substantial
luncheon served by Manager John v.
Rowen of the hotel, seemed ready to
second the speakers assertions at every
turn.
The speaker was introduced by F. d.
Ladd, president sof the Board of Trade,
after varied musical program during
the luncheon hour came to a climax with
the entire company singing America
Previously Landis orchestra and two
soloists, James Bennett and Harry Clark,
by their melody, had added much to the
enjoyment Of the evening.
The congressman prefaeed his discus
sion of larger issues by congratulating
the citizens of Barre on their Board of
Trade. He said that the results of a
community organization which takes for
its name, board Of trade, chamber Of
commerce, or what not, are not measured
by dollars and cents, and even though
a city or town is not transformed over
night into Little Pttsburg, with for
est Of chimneys belching black smoke,
the results are there Just the same. They
are to be expressed in a better spirit
of cooperation, a finer feeling of neigh
borliness, and a better expressed desire
to harmonic.
Turning to graver subjects, Congress-
man Greene urged his audience, in the
moment of their rejoicing over the
achievements Of American arms, not TO
forget that the sacrifices which were
made by Britain, France and Italy made
it possible for America to enter The war
at the right moment and assist in fight
ing it through to victorious conclusion
He warned against the siren song of the
pacifst, "This is the last war" and as
sured his hearers that every precedent
in history is against that song. This
war, he went on, has left legacy of
things which never figured in our fond
est dreams, and even now we are un-
able to realize the real significance Of
the great struggle. It is incumbent
upon us, nevertheless, to realize that
we are no longer isolated. We have tax
en- a seat at the world table rs an en-
tered apprentice and there is no retreat
ing.
The next quarter-century may be one
of the most dangerous in our history,
said the speaker. We must be ever on
the alert. We must not be deceived by
the silver-tongued idealists who are for
ever trying to lull us into false sense
Of security. Mr. Greene reminded his
audience that the circumstances leading
up to the late war were a long time
a-making. They were being created long
before the swashbuckler of Europe came
into the i'nelight, and so, we who may
feel that We are going back TO the old
days Of peace, must not forget that his
tory is always in the making, and that
at the most unexpected moment some
thing happens to change the whole
course of history
In line with his argument that causes
which cannot be collected on the instant
and quickly grasped were responsible for
the latest war. Congressman Greene
later cited the expeditions of the Cru-
ssders. II took historians a good many
years TO discover the good arising from !
the apparent failure of the Crusaders |
Many of those old warriors whose de- |
scendants thought had died a hopeless !
death really made a wonderful sacrifice |
For during all their wanderings up and |
down Europe, through $50 years, they !
were unconsciously bringing back home |
with them the sciences, the arts and |
the culture of the Saracens, whom they |
sought to conquer Not in their day was
the Holy Sepulchre restored to Chris
tianity, but the benefits of the Crusaders
were real and lasting, nevertheless, And |
the world does not change. 1t will be |
many years before historians will have
a clear conception Of this latest and most |
complex war.
Latterly the speaker took hack at |
decentralization in government. He |
waived all considerations of partisan |
ship, and said that the evils which need /
are the evils of both parties.
Rome fell because Of her bureaucratic
system quite as much as because of lust
and greed Congressman Greene remind
"a the audience that the broad expanse
of territory in the United States fur.
1ishes almost every kind of climate.
While the people in every state recog.
1ize one flag. they desire to have the
to work out their own sal
7ation in their own way--and it cannot
be done from a single departmental desk
n Washington. Bureaucracy was one
If the evils which the forefathers sought
10 forfend back in the pioneering days OF
America, and ever since that time, de.
'pite the headway which the system
seems to be making to-day, the people
lpon whom Washington looks as "the
olks back home" desire to do their own
governing, so far as possible The speak
It cited the example of Great Britain and
Ter vast domains; Britain rules with
light rein and allows her colonies to gov.
,rn themselves to such an extent that
he danger of bureaucracy is not a con.
tant menace. He cited our own devo-
ion to the principle of the New Eng.
and town meeting and in closing urged
lis audience to think carefully on all
which would surrender the sa-
red privilege of home government.
SovIETS READY TO FLEE.