Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-02-28
MILITARY ORDERS
PLEA TO SENATE
ASKS INVESTIGATION OF THE
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR
PREVENTION or WAR.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

the World War, an organization COM
posed OF men who served their coun-
try as officers in the war with the
Teutonic powers, has made direct plea
to the senate of the United States for
the appointment of committee to in
vestigate the workings OF the National
Council for the Prevention Of War. a
society which has it's headquarters in
this city. The plea is made in the
columns of the National Bulletin of
the Military Order.
In Washington letters from time to
time, attention has been called to the
attempts of certain organizations to
undo the army and navy of the United
States and to prevent that proper pre-
paredness which would make for the
defense Of this country in time of pos
sible war. There are several organi-
cations whose labors seem to be d.
rected not so much to abolish war as
to render this country defenseless in
case a war of aggression against it
should come
The American Legion already has
given attention to the activities of
these organizations, and now the Mill
tary Order of the World War, virtual
ly all of whose members also belong
to the Legion, has taken the matter up.
Women's League Co-operates.
The members of the Military Order
in so many words are asked to use
their best efforts to combat the in
sidious and destructive propaganda of
the peace" organization, and to use
every legitimate means of preventing
''its paid propagandists from making
any public speeches"
The Women's International League
for Peace and Freedom is declared by
the organization of former officers Of
the service to be cooperating organ
ization of the Council for the Proven
ton of War.
One of the members of the execu-
tive board of the Women's league is
said to be vice chairman of the conn,
ell, and the veterans declare that an.
other member, the wife of promi-
nent government official, has written
and published the following as express
sive Of the attitude that it wishes
American women to take in case their
country ever becomes involved In war:
go to war if you want to- but know
this: We have pledged ourselves not
to give you our children, not to en-
courage or nurse your soldiers, not to
knit sock or roll bandage, or drive
a truck, or make a war speech, or buy
bond
Training Camps Attacked.
From time to time articles have ap-
peared and speeches have been made
by representatives of organizations
which have had as their bases or ar
gument statements utterly misleading.
One article which was given to the
public asked the people in effect what
they thought of tie Wickedness of a
government which would send 1000
officers to camp in summer time in
order that they might be trained to
kill people.
The facts in this case are these !:
The United States is trying to main
tain a reserve corps of officers and
men so that If war should come again
we would not be caught in the pre-
dicament in which we were caught in
1917. There is precious little money
to train anybody. There are about
$4,000 reserve officers whose names
are on paper 1t is possible to give
only about 1000 Of these officers a
camp training in summer time, train
ing which lasts only two weeks.
The statement of the propagandfsts
ignored everything except the fact that
1000 men were to be trained, and cites
this act as a shocking thing, without
one word to disclose the really pitt
full preparedness showing which the
training plan made.
Frankly, one does not believe that
congress can be induced to investigate
this organization, for seemingly con-
gress is as Indifferent to any possible
further war danger to the country as
it was prior to 1917, when the insist
ence on policy of unpreparedness
later cost us the lives Of thousands OF
American boys in the Argonne and
along the Meuse, the Marine and the
Aisne.
Approach of Spring.
Oil. politics and legislation, and a
sort Of general drabness Of things, are
in the city Of Washington, while across
the river in tn state of Virginia there
are in these February days the first
signs Of spring.
RuInor that the advance guard of
snring had come to the other side of
the Potomac was seductive enough to
draw one away from the post of OBJ
snrvation of what some may call the
hioh matters of state. 1t is true that,
barring few buds on bushes lucky
enough to have southern exposure,
there are as yet few plant or floral
svmntoms OF the advent Of the days
Of springing things, but nevertheless,
snring is in the air in this Potomac
country in mid-February.
From the long bridge over the Po-
tonac there is a sweeping view of the
river now somewhat swollen, making
its way hayward. Along the shore
and here and there on the bars there
are congregations of crows, and with
them an occasional herring gull dis
nufing foothold possession with the
members of the corvus tribe, and oc-