Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-11-12
PREPAREDNESS URGED IN
ARMlSTICE DAY talk
Continued from page 1.

trained men and arms in each war
cost us lives and dollars, sorrow and
taxation beyond calculation.
today realize that when bat
ties rage in a world aflame, struggle
as we may for peace, there is danger
of America being drawn again into
the conflict. Weakness invites in
suit.
"Unpreparedness is ruinous in
lives and money. Many a fine chap
liss in Flanders fields because of our
failure to heed the cautious statss-
men, the fools who believed in pre-
p~aredness, and large industries are
stilled by taxation due to the extrav-
agant cost of speeding the partial
equipment of our forces on land and
sea.
ITO pay u debt to those who died
that America might live as victor,
we must understand this and, know
ing, tell our law makers in Washing
ton that we will welcome world dis
armament but will not tolerate the
destruction of the army as a real
weapon of defense until disarma-
ment is ~concurred in by all great ma
lions with proved good faith. We
urge action to hat end. But until
the people of the earth unite so as
to make certain that America is free
of danger from any enemy, we de-
mand absolute protection through
preparedness to the full extent APP
proved by our patriotic generals as
the wisest and cheapest insurance
of our nationality.
LAS it is, we have reduced the
army to a degre comforting to the
flabby pacifist. We fail to sense the
need of aerial preparedness, while
England and France are building
aircraft and anti-aircraft guns with
feverish anxiety, in this era when a
single Zeppelin, free to float over
u shores, could destroy city after
city with the deviltries of modern
chemistry"
At the beginning of the meeting
Mayor William C. Wilson spoke a
few words of welcome to those pres
by Rev. John T.. Larkin Of st. Mary's
church.
This was followed by a five min
ute address by Rev. Wilbert West
| colt, pastor of the Simpson M. E.
church, who spoke on the meaning
of Armistice Day. At the end of the
address the audience stood for one
minute in silence, after which Rev.
| MI. Westcott recited a prayer.
Mr.. Menken, the principal speaker
| of the afternoon, then gave his stir
| ring address on THE Spirit of
| America" while during the entire
| program the local Boy Scout orches-
ira rendered several selections, UNI
| der the direction of Commissioner G.
H. KalQuist, and accompanied by
Maxwell MacMichael.
A feature of the afternoons pro-
gram was community singing led by
l.. L. Lewis, assistant director Of the
War Camp Community singing of
New York City. Miss Hazel Brogger
accompanied at the piano during the
singing.
At the close OF the program bene-
diction was pronounced by Rev.
Nathan Colish. of Temple Beth Nor
decai. During the one minute of
silence yesterday Scout Alton
O'Brien blew taps. Ronald Kleckner,
county commander of the American
Legion. and chairman of the affair,
presided.
The remainder of the Armistice
Day program as arranged by the To-
cal Legion post will be presented
tonight at the BI1tt on water street
| when a band concert will be given
by the Columbus italian Union band
| of this city, and q large collection of
fireworks displayed /.
The band concert will start about
s o'clock and between the intermis-
sions the fireworks will be displayed.
A thousand dollars worth of the va
rious colored lights and celebration
| explosives have been collected, $500
worth of which has been donated
by the Italian-American citizens of
this city.
Chief Niels ]. Tonnesen has given
| orders for Water street to be roped
off from Lewis street to
the Raritan Yacht Club, and several
officers will be on hand to G that
the traffic is diverted to side streets
so that noise OF trucks and autos
! will not mar the sound OF the music.