Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1920-02-06
TO PRUSSIANIZE THE UNITED
STATES?

There is being considered in the
United States congress measure
known as the army reorganization
bill. This proposed law is designed
to create permanent military policy
in this country. The senate commit
tee on military affairs has included
in this bill a provision for compulsory
military training for boys between
the ages of 18 and 21, and has agreed
to report the measure favorably to
the senate within a few days.
The army organization bill is the
beginning Of a plan conceived and
propagated by certain powerful ele-
ments in this country which hope to
have the government build up a
strong military establishment that
will be advantageous to their private
and personal interests, although their
public appeal is made to the patriotic
spirit of the people awakened by the
war.
Some of these are political groups,
who see the possibilities of tremend-
Gus political power such an organi-
cation would place within their reach.
Certain other interests would like
to see a great military force OF
trained men who could be called on
to enforce with guns the iniquitous
iniunctions sometimes issued by
autocratic judges. This would be an
invaluable advantage to such inter-
ests if the judges are to be allowed
to fix the rates of wages to be pald'
as was suggested at thC otate meet
ing of Ohio judges the other day IN
this city.
Another very active class OF pro-
ponents of the scheme consists of pro-
fessional military men and army
bureau officials, who naturally desire
unlimited enlargement of their power.
The whole movement, if carried to
the extent some of it's ardent advo-
Gates would have it, is fraught with
formidable dangers to this country
not only to it's national and interna-
tional peace, but to it's very existence
as a republic.
Like causes inevitably bring like
results. If we are to follow in the
footsteps of the nations of Europe
and pin our national safety upon the
building up of an ever larger anc
greater military machine, we can ex-
pect just such a catastrophe as over
took Europe; there is no other pos
sible outcome. If we prepare our
selves to be able to whip the worlc
with guns, we shall sooner or later
be forced to try to do it. If we ther
fail to do it, as Germany failed, ther
we would almost certainly be dis
membered as a nation. If we sue
ceeded, it would likewise be at TIT
, cost of our existence as republic
for this is republic founded on tn
principles of democracy, and system
of militarism in this country stroni
enough to prevail in such struggl
would from it's very nature strangl
the breath of democracy.
Militarism is of necessity an auto
: cratic system. Even while we wer
; preparing for the inevitable wa
which would result from such prep
arations, we should lose our freedom
as people and come under the gov
| ernment of the military machine w
were creating. Our internal affair
2 would finally come to be adm mis-
] tered by autocratic army authorize
t instead of by the methods of democ
t racy provided for in our constitution
e 1t is weak argument to say such
' thing could not happen. Histor
i shows how often it has happene
when nations have created With
t themselves a military power whic
: grew strong enough to destroy thei
e civil liberty.
Now that the senate has refused :
: permit our government to unite IN
l league to enforce peace between tn
3 nations of the world, it would b
Y folly to ignore the military needs
e which such action creates. But it
e we'll for each American, and "spe
e cially every working man, who stand
4 for democracy and the principles an
e derlying this republic, to watch an
4 combat any movement which NH
q lead tn the destruction of demOcratl