The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1921-06-16
holly TO BE FIRST
TO D|SARM-WEEKS
E=r Secretary ct New York Univer-
sity Admits Possibility of Further
Confiict-United States Needs
to Be Prepared.

New York, June 8.-Declaring that
IL would be the height of folly for the
United States to disarm first, Secre-
nm of War Weeks in an address to-
Is7As to the graduating class Of New
York University, said he hoped to see
This nation prepared to defend it's
fikhts, its sovereignty and the citi-
zsns until the day comes when all ma
lions by mutual consent dismantle
their Notifications and scrap their
navies. The university conferred upon
Secretary Weeks the honorary degree
81 doctor of laws.
Fl do not love war;, the secretary
raid. Il abhor it. No rational being
no has a clear realization of its
meaning wants to have his country
rerome engaged in war, but conditions
may arise which make it, with all it's
horrors, the only alternative to a dis
honorable peace. Then every patriot
ic citizen wants war"
No Fear of Britain.
n 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
sav here and now that / cannot give a
moments serious consideration to the
possibility of war with Great Britain"
IN Such conflict, he declared, would,
- - his opinion, be the end of civiliza-
tor.
81 am we'll aware" the secretary
tSntinued, "that a great many good
<...I1 ~, This sx,Io :. a..
world, believe that the time has come
when the world should undertake a
feneral disarmament. | am entirely
ii sympathy with every wise and sane
endeavor to bring about the adoption
of a world movement with that re-
anlt in view. But we must remember
HAT the passions of war and the dis
turbances to society, as well as to the
Individual, cannot be overcome or for
often in a day. Only time and a
Efeat deal of time will bring people
md nations back to a normal condi-
5jon.
The Future Is Mystery.
"The past is history-the future is
mystery. 1t would be folly to let our
hopes for the future blind our eyes
ID the facts of the past. History DEM
onstrates that this world, since its
very creation, has revolved in a cycle
IA which peace ends in war, just as
war, in turn, ends in peace. believe
That the world is gradually returning
10 a state of mind where, with vivid
recollection of the horrors of the past
war. it can take definite action in
bringing about reduction in arma-
1nent. Under present conditions, how
1per, it would be the height of folly
for the United States to be the first
ID disarm.
"World-wide disarmament must
corne as the result of an international
&greement and must be done stimuli
<aneously. Prudence would not per-
nit our disarming while others hold
Heapons in their hands"
Returning to the possibility of a
conflict with other countries Mr..
Weeks declared the time had come
when this country must have defin-
re military policy. The national de-
1ense act. which become a law on
@pne 4, 1920, is the policy which he
hought should govern the army.
Victory Despite Policy.
The fact that the United States
HIunged into wars in the past and I'LL
Wnately emerged successfully should
not be accepted as proof that the
country's former military policy was
sound, Mr.. Weeks said. Victory came
Ne spite of, rather than because of
MAJ policy, he declared. He called
Particular attention to the fact that
All of the important wars this coun-
Try has fought were followed by in
4estigations of the military system
Which revealed that there was excess
i've expenditure of public funds,
needless waste of human life and I'M
necessary prolongation of the strug-
8les.
After an exhaustive study of the
Military defense act, Mr.. Weeks said
AZ had been unable to find in it a
.&4ngle requirement he might consider
nnwise.
While universal military training is
not possible at this time, he declared,
Voluntary military training, which is
provided for in the national defense
act, will prove of material assistance
Up developing a general policy of mill
AIRY preparation.
Broader Draft Law.
The selective service law used by
the United States during the world
war served the purpose for which it
was drafted, Mr.. Weeks said, but he
fDntended that draft law Of much
Broader scope should be adopted if
mother conflict were to come upon
the nation. Such a law should not
only apply to those who fight, he said,
but to every citizen engaged in any
activity related to the conduct of hos
ulities; every citizen within a pre-
scribed age should be assigned to the
octivity for which he is best fitted and
me resources of the country should
pc at the immediate service Of the gov
eminent without exception.
q Time has not lessened the wisdom
pt Washington's advice" the secre-
tary concluded sIn time Of peace
prepare for war. 1t is essential in the
preservation of the republic in 1921,
as it was in $780,
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