Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1924-08-22

ious discussion is now revolving
OF this event Pershing said:
Defense Day was planned merel
because we should find out where W
stand on the matter of national de
Tense. We have on the statute book
wise laws, based upon our expert
ence of war and on all of our ex
perience as a nation. These con
template the organization in time o
peace of skeleton defense force tina
can be expended in time of war. 1
is entirely voluntary and non-mili
taristic.
"The World war for us may b,
likened to a fire. We had to carry
water in buckets to put out this fire
This has been a very expensive
method. Now we think we have pro.
crossed and should have a volunteer
fire department and fire engine
We are now going to test the eff
ficiency of the company and try out
the hose we have acquired.
1--WE have been running to these
fires with buckets for $50 years, but
we now hope that preparedness will
make this no longer. necessary"
That seems to summarize the
arguments behind this voluntary
census giving of man power. The
other side contends that it is un-
wise to designate such day because
it give an impression to the world
we are tending toward militarism
and that the fighting germ is there
by kept aleart.
The controversy has gotten into
politics, as might have been ex-
peeted, and into religion, as was not
apparently expected. The battle is
raging freely. One gets the idea
there are some wars that are endless
and that peace is never to be. Prob
ably no one will be killed during the
course of the controversy itself, but
there may be casualties unneces-
sarily growing out of it. If the sup
portors of Defense Day find them
selves nationally in the majority, its
opponents declare we may soon be
plunged into another war. If the
opponents of Defense Day triumph,
It's sponsors declare we may shortly
be called upon to defend ourselves
being prepared and, there
lore, will sustain heavy losses that
night have been avoided. 1t seems
We are in for it from either horn of
his set of prophesies and that we
nay not look upon this word war
With any assurance it is to have no
anguinary offspringI
1t is pity the subject has to be
ragged into politics, and more so
hat it has to be dragged into reli-
yion. At the same time one must
oncede something to the ministers,
Who are arrayed so strongly against |
he proposal. First of all, they are
,uided by insistently impressed and
ong observed precepts; and, again,
hey are not to disregard lightly the
ttitude of their ecclesiastical heads
ny more than General Pershing
you'd easily set aside the policies
f his military superiors. 1t is be-
ond belief, however, that as class
hey would shirk the duties of citi-
enship, much less haul at the flag.
In this day of repeated question
aires, If each minister were to be
sked: In case the United States
hould become involved in war,
Tould you be for the United States
r against it? Answer yes or no."
is undoubted there would be as
igorous a chorus of Eyes" from our
ulpits as there was during the war.
nd the cause of this assumed new
ar need not be considered. The
Ict that the United States has never
ct provoked a war strongly sup
orts the conclusion that public
ntiment in this country would
ever authorize a war excepting for
,fense of itself and humanity.
No one wants war. The natural
sposition of people is to live in
ace; but no one wants to be shot
or bombed with nothing more
an g hymn book which to respond.
doubt if there are any ministers
no would stand for being slapped
the face. l know lot of them l
'uld not tackle that way without
pecting to be struck. There are
} many of them taking Y. M. c. A. &
lletic courses. B
A nation is an aggregate of in 8
both in sentiment and in b
ength. Life with the individual &
a ceaseless preparation; so with a q
ton. It ought to be sensibly pre- 81
ed to defend itself from foreign 8
s just as the individual from in 81
inns OarnnS and indusfrin,,o sin