Evening star., 1925-02-25
BELIEVE SECURITY
LIES IN DEFENSE
Women Indorse Prepared
ness and Integrity of Amer
ica'S Peace Aims.


The national security of this nation
rests in an ADEQUATE national de-
fense constituting Americas best
peace insurance until such time as
by agreement limitation OF arms may
be possible" the Women's Conference
on National Defense as Peace Insur-
ance declared today in a declaration
of principles adopted as the closing
business of four-day session of the
conference at American Red Cross.
headquarters.
To carry out the ends sought by
the conference the committee on rec
ommendation urged in it's report,
which was adopted by the conference,
that a Nationwide educational cam
paign on the national defense act
as it interprets the constitutional
provision for the common defense
be undertaken.
Declaration of Principles.
The declaration of principles was
adopted by the conference, represent
ing 16 national women's organizations
with a membership of more than a
million women, as follows:
We believe in the integrity of our
country'S purpose to promote peace
among the peoples
we would feel a sense of over
whelming shame were it's sword un-
sheathed in any unjust cause, and
would endeavor to prevent unrighteous
warfare"
Because of sense of gratitude for
the prosperity of the United States
the conference declared it believed it
the duty to cooperate in any effort to
reduce the possibility of war, and
that the members of, the conference
pledged themselvS as individuals to
promot the cause of peace.
With the present unsettled status OF
the world, living in the midst of national
ambitions jealousies, suspicious and
hatred, the conference said, 1T would be
puerile and foolish to cast off the instru
ments of defense"
Urge Adequate Defense.
I'VE seek no territory nor are we
envious of any other nations posses
sions, influence or power. But we are
determined to protect and defend our
own and to be able at all times to MAIN
tain our national integrity. We there
fore urge all our fellow citizens to sup
port a consistent program and policy of
adequate national defense"
Reviewing the steps leading to the
foundation of the American Red
Cross, John Barton Payne, chairman
of the relief organization, said the
first American participation in Eu-
rope by the Red Cross came in 1892,
when the farmers of the West sent a
shipload of wheat to famine sufferers
in Russia. The first war participation
by the Red Cross was in the war with
Spain, he added. Today Mr.. Payne said
the Red Cross is established in every
civilized country, and its strength in
the United States rests on the appeal
of its almost universal popular men,
bership-
Agents of the Communistic govern
ment of Russia are working at the
very vitals of American institutions,
seeking to destroy this Government
through every agency into which their
theories can be thrust, Fred Marvin.
editor of the Searchlight, told the
conference. Mr. Marvin said the
Communistic movement is older than
the United States. having been formed
in Germany in 1876, with the theory
that no man should own property,
there should be no church, no govern
ment, nor legalized marriage. Mr..
Marvin said Communists today are in
control of one-fifth of the worlds ter
ritory and controlled "the most dan
gerous and menacing army in the
world"
Mr.. Marvin said the purpose OF
communism here is to create a CO.
operative commonwealth, and added
that if this Nation is ever overthrown
and made subservient to communistic
ideals, the fault will rest with the
individuals of today, who do not see
the danger and vigorously fight it.
Pleading for more general support
of the citizens military training
camps, Col. Fred B. Ryons, secretary
of the Reserve Officers Association
of the United States, said I'VE want
100000 young men to apply for train
ing this year" Col. Ryons said the
military authorities have worked out
a plan which provides the greatest
assistance to prospective applicants
for the training camps with a very
little effort.
Placing his plea on the basis of
preparedness as the best defense
against war, Col. Ryons said, 1.-THE
pacifist is working to destroy our
land and unless we work he will
succeed. Let us think only of our
comrades in France and of the count
less thousands in our hospitals, for
that will give us strength to do our
duty
Forty-one thousand American nurses
are held in reserve by the American
Red Cross in readiness for war, Miss
Clara d. Noyes, director of the nurs-
ing service of the Red Cross said
Miss Noyes added that no army was
ever cared for as well as our Army
in the last war.
The Navy system of training, in
struction and promotion which, he
said, makes it possible for a youth
lacking educational advantages to
become an admiral, was outlined by
Rear Admiral William r. Shoemaker,
chief of the Bureau of Navigation, at
the meeting yesterday afternoon.
A resolution urging representa-
tives of the women's organizations
participating in the conference to sup
port the campaign for an adequate
American merchant marine was intro
duced by Mrs. Isabel WeFRell Ball.