The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-05-04

cinct !rglsiat,un winch viii wipe out
most Of the meurs 1T defense which
the country has against future possible
aggression 10y ah allen enemy. ~
against Instruction or an attempt 10
,ommunlze this country from within
Now II must not be understood that
the kind Of petition which congress-
men receive is expressed In words
which would lead them to know what
the real object of the petitioners Ia
The plea Is simply for high patriotic
and peace endeavor." Hundreds q
thousands Of Americans are being de-
ceived today IN this matter Of so-called
disarmament endeavor. There Is In
Washington an organization which
represents thirty.five or forty associ-
ations and which Is doing what II can
to "Chinafy" the United States. IL
has prppagandsts at work throughout
the country us well as In Washington.
Congress seems to believe that be-
cause the number of organizations
which are at work In this matter IL
so great. they represent the majority
of the people Of the United states,
and congress, always timid, perhaps
Is willing to yield for the sake OF
votes.
lette From Radical Leader.
Here is photustat copy of letter
written ~ one of the leaders Of this
movement. OF course letter Of this
kind Is not sent to members Of con-
.I, anl tina
name of the writer. The letter fol-
lows:
My dear-:
IL have your note Of Feb. 18th ask
ing my opinion of Ida Tarbells article
bncking the use of Poison Gas. Be
tween the silence of despair at such q
position on the part of IA woman ana
length. discussion answering Miss
Tarbel point by point. there remains
little to be said. | am IA radical. l
believe war rests on our present eco
nomic .aisitles. believe that the
competitive system means commercial
and industrial war inevitably leading
to bloody war. Until we have estab-
lished cooperation in the making and
distributing of the worlds production
which includes both the necessities
and luxuries used by man, we shall
have intensive activity on the part III
nation against nation to gain trade
centers and spheres of influence until
finally the activity is carried to the
military struggle. l have no conf
dence in anything short of revolution.
peaceful by all means. II possible.
bloody, IL necessary, In every land, re-
sulting In the establishment Of the
communistic idea In some form, to do
away with war When production 10
for use alone and not for protts;
when the earth belongs to all men
rather than a few men, there will be
no bone Of contention resulting In
bloody contests. Until then war Is In
evitable and as nothing stands still
is bound to change In its manner OF
being waged One might as well talk
of identifying hell as civilizing war
fare. II poison gas we're abolished
somethin, more devilish would be dis
covered.
Would Follow Russian Example.
THE pathetic part of Ida Tarbells
attitude as expressed In the article Ii
not so much her advocacy OF poison
gas on scientific grounds as 1t Is that
as well trained a mind rs hers should
not be more Interested In the science
that underlies the uprOOting Of the
causes of war rather than In the SCI
ence that promotes this or that weapon
of warfare. Women should stop short
of nothing but the full abolition Of
war. They give life at the greatest
cost. And this life Gun only be pre-
served by the greatest wisdom which
Is to see on what foundations war
rests; pull the support from under It
and go about the building Of the new
world as Russia Is painfully trying to
do. War and economies are so bound
together that they cannot be consid-
cred apart. And Ida Tarbell Is sup
posed to be an economist or spOilO-
gist or an investigator along these
lines. Why then does she not let the
use or abolition of this or that method
of warfare be the concern OF the shall
low-minded mob who always confuse
cause and effect, rather than stand
with the philosophers and wise few
who would kill the Monster with all
her litter by destroying the force that
gave War Birth.
Very truly yours,