Evening star., 1925-10-06
Tells Legion Tolerance Must
Grow orWOrId War Was
Fought in Vain.
URGES U. S. TAKE LEAD
IN DEMOBILIZING HATRED
Civilians Must Control Military
Power or Liberty Will
Cease, He Warns.
BY the Associated Press.


dent Coolidge, addressing the Ameri.
can Legion convention here today, de-
clared that the result of the World
War will be lost and the nations OF
the world will prepare for another con-
f1ict unless racial antagonisms are de-
mobilized and a universal attitude Of
liberation is created.
IF our country is to have any po-
sition of leadership he added, Il
trust it may be in that direction, and
believe that the place where it
should begin is at home
Asserting that no nation ever had or
ever will have an army large enough
to guarantee it against attack in time
of peace or to insure its victory in
war, the President said that peace
and security are more likely to result
from fair and honorab BILE dealings and
mutual agreements for a limitation of
armaments among the nations than by
any attempt at competition in squad
rons and battalions."
NO doubt this country" he contin-
ued, could. if it wished to, spend more
money make a better military force.
hut that is only part of the problem
that confronts the Government. The
real question is whether spending
more money to make a better military
force would really make better coun-
try.
Praises Military Science.
Il would be the last to disparage the
military art. 1t is an honorable and
patriotic calling of the highest rank.
But I can see no merit in any unnec-
essary expenditure of money to hire
men to build fleets and carry muskets
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 educa ton and all the
other arts of peace which minister to
! the advancement of human welfare"
Avoiding direct reference to any
! specific situation. Mr.. Coolidge ex-
pressed the opinion that military
power should be subordinated to and
governed by civil authority, and con-
tinued:
1t is for this reason that any or
Eanization of men in the military
service bent on inflaming the public
mind for the purpose of forcing gov
ernment action through the pressure
of public opinion is an exceedingly
dangerous undertaking and precedent.
This is so whatever form 1t might
take. whether it be for the purpose of
/ Influencing the executive. the legisla.
ture or the heads Of departments.
1T is for the civil authority to de-
ternline what appropriations shall be
granted, what appointments shall be
| made, what rules shall be adopted for
the conduct of its armed forces. When
ever the military power starts debating
/ to the civil authority. by whatsoever
means adopted the liberties of the
country are beginning to end. National
/ JAfA c1 oil hA
/ ported, but any form of militarism
| should be resisted
! Urges Broad Draft Law.
! Advocating selective service act
which would authorize broad mobiliza-
! tion in emergencies of all the country's
resources. both persons and materials,
! the President declared that. in time OF
war. power should be lodged some
| where for the stabilization of prices
"as far as that might be possible In
! justice to the country and it's de-
| fenderS.'
But it will always be impossible to
/ harmonic justice and war" he con-
tinued 1T is always possible to pur
! chase materials with money, but pa
! triotism cannot he purchased. I'm
less the people are willing to defend
i their country, because of their belief
in it. because of their affection for it.
| and because it is representative of
their home, their country cannot be
! defended.
"If we are looking for more COM
plete reign of justice. a more complete
| supremacy Of law. more complete
social harmony, we must seek 1t in
! the paths of peace. Progress in these
directions, under the present order Of
| the world, is not likely to be made eX-
cept during state Of domestic and
international tranquility. One of
the great questions before the ma
tions today is how to promote such
! tranquility"
Urges Mental Demobifization.
! Declaring that one of the most nat
| ural reactions during the war was in
! tolerance the necessity for common
! purpose and a unified intellectual
! front becoming paramount Mr.. Cool
/ idge said that when the need for such
! solidarity is past there should be a
quick and generous readiness to re-
vert to the old and normal habits Of
thought
There should be an intellectual de-
mobiliza ton as well as a military de-
mobiliza tion," he declared. Progress
depends very largely on the encourage
ment of variety. Whatever tends to
standardize the community, to estab-
lish fixed and rigid modes of thought,
tends to fossilize society. If we all be.
Ilieved the same things and thought the
same thoughts and applied the same
valuations to all the occurrences about
us, We should reach a state Of equi-
librium closely akin to an intellectual
and spiritual paralysis. It is the fer
ment of ideas, the clash of disagreeing
judgments, the privilege of the indi-
vidual to develop his own thoughts
and shape his own character, that
makes progress possible"
Weather Disagreeable.
Arriving in Omaha at $50 am.
after a 1.300-mile journey from Wash
ington, the President found the city
swarming with former service men
and the weather was disagreeable,
as it frequently was in France.
A cold, driving rain reckoned to
put a damper on the days activities,
as the sky was SO overcast that there
was slight prospect of a let-up.
The President and Mrs. Coolidge
were greeted at the Union Station by
James A. Drain. national command
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