The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-06-08
W AR SECRETARY
believes With
WASHINGTON IN
EPAREDNESS"
Weeks Declares Premature
Disarmament by United
States Would be the
Height of Folly
VOLUNTARY MILITARY
TRAINING is NEEDED
UNIVERSAL AND COMPULSORY
DRILLING NOT FEASIBLE, But
PEACE SCHOOL WOULD FIND
US READY

New York, June S.-Declaring that
il would be the height of folly for the
United States TO disarm first, Secre-
tary of War Weeks, in an address to-
Gay to the graduating class of New
York University, said he hoped to see
This nation prepared TO defend its
rights. its sovereignty and its citizens
until the day comes when all nations
by mutual consent dismantle their for
rifications and scrap their navies.
The university conferred upon Sec
retary Weeks the honorary degree OF
doctor OF laws.
II do not love war the secretary
<keclared. 81 abhor il. No rational be-
fng who has clear realization Of its
meaning wants TO have his country
become engaged in war, but condi-
tions may arise which make II, with
ail its horrors, the only alternative to
a dishonorable peace. Then every pa
Yiriotic citizen wants war.
II do not anticipate war" Mr..
Weeks asserted, but there are active
and feverish military preparations
among those with whom we might pos
sibly come in contact And | want TO
say here and now that ! cannot give
O moments serious consideration 10
the possibilities Of war with Greai
Britain"
Such a conflict. ne declared. would
in his opinion. be the end OF civiliza'
ton.
Mr.. Weeks declared the time had
come when this country must have
u definite military policy. The national
defense act, which became law on
June I. 1920. is the policy whioh he
thought should govern the army.
That the United states continued for
so leng without military policy wor'
thy Of the name.' he said. was large
ly due to our geographical Isolation
and comparatively minor interest II
the affairs OF the rest OF the world
But whether We like 1t or not. thi.
state OF physical and political detach
nent from the rest OF the world nS
longer exists. The Spanish-Americar
war left us with oligations In tw'
hemIspheres our flag has marcneS
in Asia with the standards OF othe
nations: we have accepted responsible
ity for many OF the islands OF tn
seas: we constructed the Panama Ca
nal and our retreating western from
tier vanished into the Pacific. Thei
came the world war.
The logic OF events seems 10 CIV
US place In world affairs fron
which we can hardly withdraw honor
ably. This does not imply. however
that we should become part Of a 81
per-government. or that We shoul
take any action affecting the rest q
the world in which the initiative
not entirely in our own hands,
The fact that the Unitci state
plunged into wars IN tae past and "a
timately emerged successfully. shoul
no; be accepted MS proof that IN
countrys former military policy wa
sound. Mr.. Weeks said. Victory cam
IN spite OF rather than because Of tina
policy. he declared.
While universal military training
not possible az this time, Mr. Week
Uttl1ftls NolNUkdlN llliAiNdle AlNllllii
which ls provided for In the nationl
defense act. will prove of material a
sis;snec In developing q general pc
ICY OF military preparation.
A draft law OF much broader scor
than that Of the world war shoul
bo adopted II another conflict were
come upon the nation, he said. and
should apply to every citizen engage
in any activity related to the oondu,
OF hostilltlcs; every citizen within
prescribed age should he assigned
fhe activity fer which he Ia best fitt'
and the resources OF the country shou
b. at the immediate service OF q
government without exception.
"if all men were honest" the sc
re,ary concluded. "iherc would hc :
necessity for maintaining u poll
rorce. II oil nations were disnto
| ested, did not oovet. there would
| little necessity for maintaining I
army. But all men are not iaw-abdlr
and all nations are not unselfish al
shcrefore. We need policemen and arr
les.
"Time,- he said. "has not lessen
ne wisdom Of washington's advlC
in time OF peace, prepare for war
a essential In the preservation II t
y3ppubllc in 1891. as II was In 1850"
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