Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-08
The Country Home
Will the Nations Disarm?
BY MRS. w. FL. FELTON,

Will the Nations Disarm?
The national parley assembled in
Washington city on November 12-
"a month ago-to take steps towards
decreasing the number of men in
naval and military service and to
call a halt on the expensive appro-
priationS in a number of the larg-
est governments in the entire world.
in supporting military and naval
forces Of these respective countries.
Great Britain, France, Italy and
Japan were the countries invited to
appear in Washington to unite with
Americans in this laudable purpose.
The United States has been spend
ing ninety-five per cent of all the
tax money on it's armies, -navies,
forts, battleShipS, air planes and
small ships called destroyers. The
amount thus expended almost beg
gars belief, it is Of such colossal pro-
portions. The remainder of the tax
money of the ninety-five per cent
goes to pensions of all American
wars. This expense increases and
there is said to be as many people
getting the war relief demanded by
the Civil war Of the sixties, as were
numbered after the close at Apo
mattoX.
There is no decrease and the con-
gress of the United States is add
ing thousands Of pensioners to the
pay roll every month in the year.
In monarchies such as exist in
Europe, the expense of the World
war is Threatening to bankrupt their
governments. In addition to what
was soaked up-of their own reve-
nues-and drastic taxation, England.
France, Italy and Russia, were
loaned billions Of American tax
money to carry on the war against
Germany and Austria.
This country has not been able to
collect even a small part of the in
terest due on this money loaned to
European governments by the Unit
ed States authorities during the
course of the World war.
If the expenses are not decreased
and this expenditure for further war
is kept up, the end is enevitable-
namely, bankruptcy. There are in
dications that the American people
will be asked to donate these bill
lions to these people who were in
.Vited to come to Washington and
agree to a decrease in expenditure
for further wars.
We are still paying colossal taxes,
far away and beyond what we have
ever paid, to meet the interest on
the Liberty bonds that the people
were in a measure forced to buy,
that the cash could be sent over to
Europe to defeat Germany.
If we had confined ourselves to
this money proposition, the burden
would be more bearable, but two
millions of American youth were
sent over to face the armies Of Ger.
many and Austria, with all the ex-
pense of drafting, shipping and sup
porting armies on foreign soil.
1t is plainly evident that France
will not agree to any decrease i'll
her army equipment. Italy is of
like mind, but not so pronounced,
up to date. England is hedging
around and keeping up an immense
standing army to hold down hef
possessions in India, Africa and the
Ff" East, not to mention her imme-
date possessions on the western
army of black soldiers for control of
her territories.
China has been fortunate enough
to secure a hearing on plea before
the Washington peace conference.
There have been a few half-hearted
concessions is to partial abandon.
ment Of China territory which was
seized after the Russo-Jap war
whom Chino J.
herself from Japan, England, France
and Germany. This issue may be
further discussed and contradicted
hereafter.
In this hasty sketch of issues and
their presentation at the Washing
ton City conference there has not
been one word said in the hearing of
the public about the rights Of the
mothers who furnished the millions
or soldiers and Of the sacrifice of
their sons on the bloody battlefieIds
OF Europe, since 1914. These mothers
should be listened to. Every one of
these millions and every one of those
soldiers whose lives were sacrificed
at the bidding and order Of the rul-
ing authorities in Europe and Amer
lea has had at one time living
mother. She went down into the
shadow Of the valley of death to give
that soldier his very existence. If a
referendum was allowed in Europe
and America they call it plebiscite
in foreign countries, and we know
this referendum or plebiscite is only
the vote Of those who are allowed to
say whether war and the bloody sac
rif1ce Of the lives of their children
shall be permitted. These mothers
should be heard. We should have
had referendum or plebescite in the
United States, before the sons of
American mothers could have been
shipped across the Atlantic ocean to
decide between the claim of the Ger
man emperor and the kings of Eng
land and Italy, not to mention Rus
STA.
Nothing can ever be settled I'M
til it is settled right. Mothers have
the right to protect the lives of their
children. I feel assured that moth
ers, no matter what their age or
their color, in the eastern continent,
as we'll as on our western contiennt,
would be glad to rise up and say:
1--WE are against the sacrifice Of our
sons under the order of any king,
potentate, car or emperor, and in
America by any ruling authority,
however named. We demand decent