Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-29
Peace by Unpreparedness.

NO we'll halonced American mas any
Quarrel win 'eitoc .'i;wHns who cr'tgao9
toc nreysnuo2 of Var" O. 4o9 i7s
corolIary, the preservation OF peace.
Peace is part of what Herbert Hoover
calls 1.-The American system" Since
the foundation of the Republic. the
United States has waged no aggressive
war. The Unions armed forces are
maintained for defensive purposes.
Their object is to protect the Amer
lean people, at home and abroad, in
the peaceful, legitimate pursuit of
their individual and national purposes.
In light of these almost commonplace
statements of the justifiability OF
keeping the United States in what
George Washington quantity termed
"a respectable defensive posture" it is
difficult 10 discuss in coed temper the
mi5chicVous program OF the Self-styled
National Council for Prevention OF
War
In The Sunday Star there was dis
closed the councils plan for smash
ing" the siXteen-ship naval construc-
ton bill now pending in the Senate
The council is the recognized central
body of the American pacifist move
ment. Its members are national or
CARNATIONS of unqueStionable char
acter, representing men, women and
associations whose patriotism there is
no reason to challenge. The Federal
Council of Churches is an active ally
and associate of the council.
Speaking on behalf of these affiliated
bodies, the national council proclaims
its intention of opposing the Coolidge
administration project to build fifteen
new cruisers and modern aircraft car
rier. That program was adopted by
the House last Winter but passage was
blocked in the Senate during the no.
toriouS March filibuster. The sixteen
ship program is the remnant of the
original scheme to construct seventy
one ships. In particular, a twenty-five
cruiser plan was whitfield down to a
f1fteen-cruiSer plan. 1t is this program
which the paciists have now set out
to shipwreck.
The national council denounces the
Senate bill as provocative and COM
petitive- =" In unbridled terms it as
sails the program as the American end
OF an international poker game" It
charges naval zealots" in the United
States and Great Britain with partici-
patton in a gamble" in which they
play" while 1.-The people pay" 1t seeks
to divest the forthcoming tenth ami
versary OF Armistice day of its sacred
character as tribute to men who made
the great sacrifice in order that pos
terity-including pacifistS-might sur
vive. 1t would convert November IL.
by means OF high-preSsure salesman
ship methods, into an orgy of PRO
test against the mounting costs of war;
"a euphonious and deliberately mis-
leading definition of the expense of
defensive armament.
Inc country VIII doubtless dismiss
as simply an exhibition of bad taste
the proposed distortion of Armistice
days solemn purpose. What the Ma
ton cannot afford so lightly to ignore
is the impending drive against the cur
tailed cruiser bill. Propaganda tor
pedoes launched from the same quarter
sank the original construction project
The House covered under a ruthless
campaign of education" declared to
have been without parallel on Capitol
HUI. Undoubtedly the Senate is to be
subjected to the same concentrated
nationwide fire in December.
The friends of adequate national de-
tense are thus face to face with another
challenge from the apostles of peace
by unpreparedness. Vigilance is re-
quired between now and the time Con-
gress reassembles. if the potent guns of
organized pacifism are not to send tn
Davy Jones locker what is left of the
Nays reasonable and righteous cruiser
program.