Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-07-04
THE ALTERNATIVE

a far larger scale than before the
world conflict In this campaign OF
preparedness the United States will
be forced to join. This nation will
be compelled to maintain huge
navy, great army and to train all
it's young men for military service.
Fear and hate and jealousy are
rampant in Europe as a result of the
war. If the powers reject the only
comprehensive plan which has been
offered to maintain peace, this hate
will be intensified and each country
will enter upon mad race for SUI
premacy in military and naval power.
This will mean increased taxes upon
the already tax burdened people, and
the result will be revolution and
chaos. Should the United States as
sumo the role of a stumbling block
in the formation of the league, this
nation will incur the suspicion and
i'll will of the other great powers
ard must be prepared to defend it
self against any or all of them. Pre-
paration for war has proved provo
cative of strife and, if the world con-
tinues to make ready on a larger
scale than ever fon the next war, that
war is not only inevitable but will
fer eclipse the last one in frightful-
ness and destructiveness. Ex-Presi
dent Taft has forcefully expounded
this danger in the following state
ment
THE first of the four great steps
taken by the league during the main
tenance of peace is the limitation of
armament provided for in the eighth
article. The council is to consider
all world armaments, and with the
aid of a military commission is TO
determine plan for n general re-
duction of armaments and fix the
limit for each nation member of the
league in that plan. The plan is
then submitted to the several nations
for discussion and agreement. When
the nations have agreed to a plan, or
to such amendments of it as they re-
quire, they covenant to keep within
the limit fixed and agreed upon for
period of 10 years unless the coun-
ell increases the limit in view of
changed conditions.
The Importance of this provision
can not be overstated in securing
peace. The chief factor in bringing
the world into this great war was the
race of competitive ornaments be-
tween the nations, After the wars
of Prussia with Denmark, Austria
and France, German empire was
formed by Bismarck on a policy of
blood and iron and an elaborate sys-
TEN of conscription of all the youth
of Germany, with great effort, eX-
pense and preparation for war, in
strategic railways, small arms, am
munition. and all possible military
equipment, was entered upon. Not
Only that, but Germany stimulated
her allies, Austria and Italy, to a
similar course. For national safety
France and Russia were compelled to
enter into their great plans of con-
scription and military preparation to
defend themselves against the pos
sible aggression of Germany and the
threat of her armament Later on.
there was a similar race between
Germany and Great Britain in naval
matters. Such enormous ornaments
had four evil results. One was the
burdensome taxation upon the peo-
pies engaged. The second was the
removal from the fields of produc-
ton. for two or three years, by con
scription, of all the young men of the
country. The third was the trucu-
lence and temptation TO war which
the possession of such a powerful in
used it in seeking diplomatic tri-
umphs in the Congresses of Nations,
explaining them by the declaration
that he had won them by standing
forth in his shining armor, OF by
iattting the sword ia his scabbard
Undoubtedly, the fact that Germany
was ahead in the race OF armament
that Russia was slow in the execu.
uon of its plan for strategic railways
and France had not perfected its new
purpose in respect to artillery aut
CONSUMPTION led Germany to accent
the Austrian-Serbian difficulty as tho
occasion for the use OF its perfect
military establishments to realize it.
dreams OF emp re. Without its sue
cess in the race OF armament. i
never would have conceived such
dreams. In this sense. therefore tbi,