The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1921-08-18


sent back, free to breed children.
Whereas women ambulance driv-
ers, munition workers and army
clerks died by thousands in the
late war, they would die by hum
dreds Of thousands and perhaps
by millions in another war all
select female breeding stock.
The great task before the hui
manity Of the twentieth century
is to eliminate war. 1t must re-
duce the causes Of war Of which
some are economic. The condi-
tions under which capital is ex-
ported have tended to breed war.
The internationalism of capital
on a plan somewhat like that Of
the present Chinese Consort-
ium" would alleviate an evil which
was perhaps the great underly-
ing cause Of the late war.
The struggle for raw materials
is another cause Of war. Inter-
national agreements concerning
the distribution of raw materials
would be a step away from fric-
ton. The tariff, too, is trouble
maker. 1t is no longer a purely
domestic question; it must be con-
sidered in the light of just inter
national relationships.
Finally comes ornaments. We
shall never move toward peace so
long as we are heavily armed. It
will probably be humanity impos-
sible for a nation prepared to
the last belt buckle" to resist, in
a time Of international friction,
the temptation to precipitate a
war. If the race for ornaments
goes on, either some of the Euro
pean nations will collapse-work-
ing great injury upon us-or some
one in desperation will start an
other war.
The United States must lead
in any disarmament proposal for
two reasons.
First, we are universally recog-
nized as the most powerful nation
in the world.
y Second, we have more potential
ity for successful war than any
three European nations put to-
gether. The capacity to manu-
facture munitions is measured by
the capacity to make steel. We
could under strain put into the
field an army of ten million sold
iers. We have most Of the worlds
gold; and the gold has been called
"the sinews Of war" Before 1914
the British Navy and the German
Army were dominant in their re-
spective fields. We can build a
greater navy than England's, a
greater army than Germany's.
We have at this moment more mu-
nitions of war than any other
nation. Japan and the European
powers are waiting to see what
we will do; they dare not begin
to reduce war establishments
while a nation so potentially
powerful continues to increase
armament. We must set the pace
whether towards war or to-
wards peace.
We are now paying as a war
bill more than ninety per cent of
our national revenues. Most Of
this goes for old wars; but the
twenty-five percent goes to the
current military and naval estab-
lishments. The Federal Govern
ment spends on items Of "re-
search, education, public health
and development" less than one
percent of our revenues. Such
activities as the elimination of So
cial diseases, vegetable pests and
the replacement Of our forests
the reclamation of arid lands
these languish because we cannot
afford them. They all cost less
than one percent of our revenues.
The army and navy costs q
percent. And now it is proposed
to increase both establishments
with corresponding drain on the
taxpayers.
If the nations, led by US, agree
to limit their armaments we can
not wipe out the bill for old wars
That must be paid by the toll OF
the next generation. But we car
either greatly reduce our taxes
or release billions for the legiti
mate improvement of the nation
And this is only the most sordi6
| Of the arguments for disarma-
ment agreement.
Only America must lead. 1
cannot come about unless the A
merican people force the govern
ment to force the other nations.
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