The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-07-09
DEFENSE DAY.

There is a phase OF defense day to which it
does not seem to us enough attention has been
given The whole psychology of muster seems
10 be that if we are sufficiently prepared, we
need not fear. With that we agree, if we I'M
derstand what it is we must prepare against.
We always have and always will take care OF
ourselves with the foe outside our gates. We
have never been able to protect ourselves from
the foes within our gates. Nor viii we ever
be able to. The preparedness we require for
that protection is eternal vigilance, daily and
hourly. They are foes who have legal Status
and who can only be overcome by superior
force.
If the opponents of military preparedness
were merely idle fools, We could tolerantly leave
them to their own self-disposition. Unfortu-
nately they are not. They are neither fools nor
idle. Pacifism is among the most fetching
tools of the demagogue. The political office of
the demagogue is to get your vote by convinc-
ing you he is for what you want. You are al
ways for that which will best serve your pur-
pose. a
But the political demagogue always secures
his result at the expense of principle, and
therefore while he gets your vote on his prom
Use of what you want, the fulfillment of the
promise is always in the hands of fate that he
cannot control
The woods are full Of strong, virile, res
ourceful, able fighters who with the specious
sophistry of the demagogue, are poisoning the
minds of American citizens. 1t is they who
must be fought-resolutely courageously and
periodically.
We have no fear of war with Japan, unless
the propaganda of people like this shall sue
ceed to the point where our national defense
shall be so enervated as to make it safe for ia
pan to war withgus. Japan, or any other ma
tion If preparedness for war; which has new
err cost a human life, but does bring the dollars
of the nation into the service we have a right
to demand of them, will save the millions of
lives that we have no right to sacrifice If dol
lars can be made to take their places then
those who oppose that preparedness are simply
conserving the dollars they pretend to despise,
and Strengthening the lives they pretend to pro-
tect
If Wilson had been militarist, it is safe
guess that we not only would never have been
in the war, but it is not impossible that there
would never have been any world war. The
Kaiser relied on three things - first, ten days
quicker passage through Belgium than he Sc
cured; second the inability of England to put
an army in the field; third, our indsposition
and inability to join the war. 1t was pacifism
and unpreparedness that gave him this third
element of confidence. He did not know that
we are willing to a thing if it needs to be done,
and do it successfully, even though as a mat
ter of emergency, we find it necessary to do it
badly. If we had real good sense we would
have the mules it needs to haul the cannons of
war; if we need them, but if we haven't got
them, we get them. 1t would cost less in money
to have them before we need them, and some
body wouldn't be shooting our boys down in
the trenches while we were getting them, if
We had them, But, according to the pacifists,
if we buy the mule before they begin shooting
our boys, we are thereby making it necessary
for the boys to get shot The logic does not ap-
peal to us.
Of course we will never have war if we are
not prepared. We will have humiliation Per-
sonally, we fear no enemy of this republic ex-
cept the opponent of military preparedness.