The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-10-08
Wars Will Not Cease Until
We Are Tolerant,
He Says.
LEGION HEARS SPEECH
More Money for a Better Mill
tary Will Not Make Bet
ter Nation, His View.


Legion convention here today, declared
that the result of the World War
will be lost and the nations of the
World will prepare for another con
flict unless racial antagonisms are
demobilized and universal attitude
of federation is created.
IF our country is to have any posi-
tion of leadership" he added, II trust
a it may be in that direction, and
believe that the place where it should
begin is at home"
Asserting that no nation ever had OF
ever will have an army large enough
to guarantee it against attack in time
of peace or to insure it's victory in
war the President said that "peace
and security are more likely to re-
suit from fair and honorable dealings
and mutual agreements for q limita-
tion Of ornaments among the nations
than by any attempt at competition in
squadrons and battleships.'
"No doubt this country" he con-
tinued, "could, If it wished spend more
money, make better military force
but that is only part of the problem
that confronts the government. The
real question is whether spending
more money to make better military
{ force would really make better coun-
try.
5, Build Homes, Not Fleets.
II would be the last to disparage
the military art. It is an honorable
and patriotic calling Of the highest
rank. But can see no merit in any
unnecessary expenditure of money to
hire men to build fleets and carry
muskats when international relations
and agreements permit the turning
of such resources into the making
of good roads, the building of better
homes, the promotion Of education
and all the other arts of peace which
minister to the advancement of hui
man welfare"
Avoiding direct reference to any
specific situation, Mr.. Coolidge ex-
pressed the opinion that military
power should be subordinated to and
governed by will authority, and con-
tinued:
at is for this reason that any or
ganization of men in the military serv-
ice bent on inflaming the public mind
for the purpose Of forcing govern
ment action through the pressure of
public opinion is an exceedingly dang
erous undertaking and precedent. This
is so whatever form it might take.
whether it be Tor the purpose Of in
fluencing the executive, the legisla-
ture, or the heads of departments.
ut is for the civil authority to de-
termine what appropriations shall be
granted, what appointments shall be
made, and what rules shall be adopted
for the conduct of its armed forces.
Whenever the military power starts
debating to the civil authority, by
whatsoever means adopted, the liber-
ties of the country are beginning to
end. National defense should at all
times be supported, but any form of
militarism should be resisted"
Advocating a selective service act
which would authorize broad mobili-
zation in emergencies of all the coun-
try's resources, both persons and ma
terials, the President declared that in
time Of war, power should be lodged
somewhere for the sterilization of
prices "as far as that might be pos
sible in justice to the country and its
defenders"
"But it will always be Impossible
to harmonic justice and war" he
continued. ct is always possible to
purchase materials with money, but
patriotism can not be purchased. I'M
less the people are willing to defend
their country because of their belief
in it, because. of their affection for it,
ard because it is representative of
their home, their country can not be
defended.
IF we are looking for a more COM
plete reign of justice, a more com
plete supremacy of law, a more COM
plete social harmony, we must seek
it in the paths Of peace. Progress in
these directions under the present
order Of the world is not likely to be
made except during q state of domes-
tic and international tranquility. One
of the great questions before the ma
tions today is how to promote such
tranquility"
Declaring that one of the most nat
ural reactions during the war was in
tolerance, the necessity for a COM
mon purpose and united intellectual
front becoming paramount, Mr.. Cool
idge said that when the need for
such solidarity is past there should be
quick and generous readiness to
revert to the old and normal habits
of thought"
There should be an intellectual
rehabilitation as we'll as a military
rehabilitation" he declared. "Pro-
gress depends very largely on the en-
couragement of variety. Whatever
tends to standardize the community,
to establish fixed and rigid modes of
thought, tends to fossilize society. If
we all believed the same thing and
thought the same thoughts and ap-
piled the same valuations to all the
occurances about us, we should reach
a state of equilibrium closely akin to
an intellectual and spiritual paralysis.
It is the ferment of ideas, the clash of
disagreeing judgments, the privilege
of the individual to develop his own
thoughts and shape his own character,
that makes progress possible.
in this period Of after-war rididity,
suspicion, and intolerance our own
country has not been exempt from un-
fortunate experiences. Thanks to our
comparative isolation, we have known
less of the international frictions and
rivalries than some other countries
less fortunately situated. But among
some of the varying racial, religious,
and social groups of our people there
have been manifestations Of an in
tolerance of oninion narroxvnaSs of