Evening star., 1926-11-11

by land or sea three elements are
necessary. One Is q question Of per
sonnel. We have population which
surpasses that of any Of the great
powers. Not only that, it Is of a Wig
orous and prolific type, intelligent and
courageous. capable of supplying
many millions of men for active duty
Another relates to supplies. In oul
agriculture and our industry we could
he not only well nigh self-sustaining
but our production could be stimulat
ca to reach an enormous amount. The
last requirement, which is also of su
preme importance, is a supply ol
money. 1t Is difficult to estimate ir
figureS the entire resources of oul
country and impossible to comprehend
them. 1t Is estimated to be approach
ing in value $400. 900 900, 900 No one
could say in advance how large a sum
could be secured from a system oi
war taxation. but every one knows II
would be insufficient to meet the cost
tf war 1t would be necessary for the
treasury to resort to the use of thee
national credit. Great as that might
he. 1t Is not limitless. To carry or
the last conflict we borrowed in excess
Of SIG 100000 This great debt
has been reduced to about SIS, 900 900,
WV Co iOIlS dS LildL Is unpaid
stands as a tremendous impeachment
against the ability of America to de-
fend itself by military operations. I'm
til this obligation is discharged it is
the one insuperable obstacle to the
possibility Of developing our full ma
tlonal strength. Every time a Liberty
bond is retired, preparedness is ad
Nanced.
Did Not Profit i'm War.
1T is more and more becoming the
conviction of students of adequate de.
tense that in time Of national peril the
Government should be clothed with
authority to call into it's service all of
IT'S man power and all of it's PROPERTY
under such terms and conditions that
1t may completely avoid making a sac.
rlflce of one and profiteer of another
20 expose some men to the perils of
the battlefield while others are left to
reap large gains from the distress of
their country is not in harmony with
our ideal of equality. Any future pol
ley or conscription should be all in.
elusive. applicable in it's terms to the
entire personnel and the entire wealth
Of the whole Nation.
1t is often said that we profite1
from the World War. We did not
profit from it, but lost from it in com.
mon with all countries engaged in it.
some individuals made gains, but the
Nation suffered great losses. Merely
IN the matter of our national debt. it
VIII require heavy sacrifices extended
over a period of about 80 wears to
recoup those losses. What we suf.
fered indirectly in the diminution of
our commerce and through the de
nation which occurred when we had
TO terminate the expenditure of our
capital and begin to live on our in.
come is a vast sum which can never
be estimated. The war left us with
debts and mortgages, without count
ing our obligations to our veterans
which it will take generation to
olscharge. High taxes, tnsolvent
banks. ruined industry, distressed ag.
rlculture, all followed In it's train.
While the period of liquidation ap.
pears to have been passed, long years
of laborious toll on the part Of the
people will be necessary to repair our
loss. 1t was not because our re.
sources had not been impaired, but
because they were so great that we
could meantime finance these losses
while they are being restored, that
we have been able SO early to revive
our prosperity. But the money
which we are making today has to
be used in part to replace that which
we expended during the war.
I'm time this damage can be re-
paired, but there are irreparable
losses which will go on forever. We
see them in the vacant home. in the
orphaned children, in the widowed
women, in the bereaved parents, To
the thousands of the youth who are
gone forever must be added other
thousands of manned and disabled
1T Is these things that bring to us
more emphatically than ANYTHING else
the bitterness, the suffering, and the
devastation Of armed conflict.
1t is not only because of these
enormous losses. suffered alike by
ourselves and the rest of the world
that we desire peace, but because we
look to the arts Of peace rather than
war as the means by which mankind
viii finally develop It's greatest spir.
ltual power. We know that discipline
comes only from effort and sacrifice.
We know that character can result
only from toll and suffering. We
recognize the courage, the LOYALTY,
and the devotion that are displaved in
war. and we realize that we must hold
many other things more precious than
life itself.
Tis mans perditon to be safe
"hen Tor the truth he ought to die
But it cannot be that the final
development of all these fine Qualities
Is dependent upon slaughter and car.
rage and death. There must be q. bet
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