New Britain herald., 1924-07-26
PRESIDENT DEFENDS
 NATL. DEFENSE DAY
Calls Criticism Unfair, Based on
 Misrepresentation

Washington, July ss, - President
 Coolidge today relMhed as "unfalr'
 those who have 'rondsnnel out ol
 hand, simply through sH asAiee af
 Interpretations the pluns Of the
 government faF nhserNaneu of national
 defense day on september ls.
 The president presented his com,
 slsnt in the form 0f letter To
 Frederick ], Libby, executive socre-
 iary of the national caunril fer pre,
 sention Of war, an organization which
 inanguFaled today a campaign in bee
 half of world cooperation for peace
 and which had asked the president
 10 endorse the mot emnnt
 Declaring he had been "unquali-
 hedly symnathtic with the aim and
 purpose 10 make war, SO nearly as
 might be, an impossihity in this world" the president m his letter
 made public at the White House, said he could not detect "nny incon- sistency in giving my approval 10 the program nf defense day"
 'i wish crime might be abolished; but would not therefore abolish courts and police protection" he add ed. T wish war might he made im- possible; but 1 would not leave my country unprotected meanwhile. The defense tests seems 10 me means to assure the fullest efficiency 10 the ey- tremcly, modest defense force our country maintains"
 Text of Letter.
 The presidents letter, dated July as. follows:
 My dear Mir. Libby;
 Some days ago received a letter from yourself as executive secretary Of the national council for prevention of war. informing me that that or- Eanization Is preparing for cam paign in behalf Of world cooperation for peace to begin July a6-27 on the tenth anniversary of the outbreak of the great war. If is intended to be q 1, great outpourins of the genuine peace i sentiment of America. We believe 1t | to be in harmony with your own pur- poses as expressed on many occasions | We respectfully ask your | endorsement of the demonstration 1. sss -
 Tn reply. by my direction, the secretary to the president wrote to you saying:
 The president asks me ID ac- knowledge receipt of your letter of June 3oth, with the assurance of his most hearty sympathy for every prac- tical proposal to minimize the danger of war. As you know. he has repeat ; edly expressed himself in this tenor, and you may be sure of his continued and most genuine friendliness for ev- cry worthy and effective effort along these lines f
 As Is well known to all persons who have done me he honor to familiarze themselves with my public expression on this subject, I have been unqualifedly sympathetic with the ( aim and purpose to make war, so | nearly as might be- an impossibility in /. this world Doubtless this is a counsel II of perfection moi 10 be realized with a put much earnest effort: to that effort when guided along feasible lines I have repeatedly pledged myself as- u sistance. '
 It is now brought 10 my attention u hat your organization is profoundly U because of the assumption II hat the plans for a national defense r est on September 12th constitute II gesture. This assumption eems to be based chiefly on con- usion of terms. In some unofficial ', md entirely unauthorized way the n |efense test has been denominated, day The government did c ot do this It would be proper to call h Inspection day. but it is not a \, mobilization and the government is h, ot responsible for any such designa- ion. As a result some we'll meaning eople have misconstrued its char ec cter and purposes, assuming that a " ation- wide mobilization of forces, and r, the civilian and industrial resources M for national defense is to be Nj arried out on that day. This, of ,h ourse. is far from the truth. in 'The constitution and the law con- N, mplate the maintenance of a defense he which in time of peace wi ways has been and is now. in pro- iu ortion to our national power and in- tn rests, one of the smallest in the pl orld. 1 have taken an oath to sup al ,rt the constitution and to execute an e laws of the United States. l could m