Evening star., 1923-11-13
WORLD WARADRAW
HAD j. S. kept OUT
View of Israel ZangWiII, Eng.
Iish Author, in Criticizing
Preparedness.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, November 13.-The
United States was not attacked in the
last war, and "it would have been
better for the world. as things turned
out, If YOU had not gone i'm at all"
Israel Zangwill, English author. yes
terday wrote as part OF his reply to
). Stanford Menken, president of the
National Security League, who in
speech at Perth Amboy, N j., last
night, challenged Mr.. Zangwill's re-
cont criticism of things American.
There then would have been a
draw and militarism would have been
killed instead of reviving in other
countries Mr.. Zangwill continued.
My idea of the folly of preparedness
does not attach to America alone, but
of disarmament, which l believe is
also an American ideal, and which
was the reason why our statesmen in
England, at least--Asquith for ex-
ample-were determined to prolong
the war indefinitely.
Historic Analogies Useless.
1T is useless mentioning old his
torical analogies when you are face
to face With such terrible new
weapons of destruction that all ideas
of preparedness must be revised That
was why l insisted the real thing
that was necessary was mental pre-
paredness. to be aware of the causes
that produce war, and to try to cir
cumvent it.
You mention England and France
as possible enemies, since they are
building aircraft with feverish anxi-
ETY.. The only aggresSor is France.
England is building merely from fear
of France, but neither country is
building against America. Even
France is building only from fear or
the German revenge which she her
self is provoking.
situation Under L. S. Control.
what you seemed to fear was the
German airship, and l learned from
another report that Zeppelins cannot
even be manufactured in Germany,
hut must be made via America. Hence
America has the situation in her own
hands The only other enemy YOU
proposed to build against was Rus
sia. and the leaders of Russia have all
they can do to keep their immense
continent together. There is not the
faintest fear of their sending aircraft
frankly called all such preparation
folly. 1t produces war rather than
staves it Off
IF / am wrong, as I perhaps am,
my apology is not that | love Amer
lea, but that l love all the young men
who may be sacrificed by this pre-
paredness For people who have
weapons often itch to use them.
II ought to add my opinion that in
the last war you were not attacked.
and that 1t would have been better
for the world, as things have turned
out. If YOU had not gone in at all.
There would then have been a draw
and militarism would have been killed
instead of reviving III other countries
No one here is more violently against
war than some of the greatest gen.
erals of the last WARRIOR instance,
Gen. SHUTS, Gen. Ian Hamilton Gf
remember the name aright), and par
ticularly Sir John Monash, head Of
the Australian forces, who never lost
battle. and who. in his book on the
war, particularly points out that the
experience of Australia shows that
preparedness is unnecessary"
Mr.. Menken's Reply.
In replying to Mr.. Zangwill. Mr..
Menken said: We talk a different
language when you suggest that it
had not entered the war; and have q
variant view Of facts If You hold that
in our absence 1t would have been a
draw. Three months more of con-
fiict without us would have resulted
in a conquest of France and the de-
struction of British prestige, If not
OF empire.
II am panied that any Englishman
of your distinction can lack apprecia-
tion of the services of our men and
women in the war. or that any hu-
manitarian does not measure their
contribution to world civilization. A
draw or compromise with Germany
and German thought of 1917 Is un-
thinkable."