The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-01-31
SHALL THE MINORITY
RULE?

Undoubtedly a vast majority Of
the American people is in favor Of
keeping the United States, in the
words of Washington, in "a reason
ably posture of defense" Failure to
do this is an invitation to trouble
provocative rather than preventive
of war. Our regular army is insig-
nifcant compared with the military
forces maintained by other powers
with less to defend, notably soviet
Russia, for which most of our pro-
fessional pacifsts show a tender side.
Americans of pronounced alien SYM
pathies oppose any form Of military
training for youth which is neces-
sary substitute for a large profess
sional military establishment.
Despite this overwhelming national
sentiment in favor of an adequate
navy, the minority opposed to this
is evidently well organized and heav-
lily financed. 1t is inducing people
opposed to national defense to bonn
bard Congress with letters and tele-
grams opposing the carrying out of
President Coolidge's recommendation
for the authorization of fifteen cruis-
ers. These cruisers, when completed,
because ships become obsolescent,
will only maintain our navy at it's
present strength. What these paci-
fists seek to bring about is, there
fore, an actual reduction in Ameri-
can naval strength, while other pow
ers are increasing their naval arma-
ments. They would be satisfied with
nothing short of bringing the Ameri-
can navy to parity with that of
soviet Russia, while keeping the
American army at one-tenth the
strength of that maintained by the
Moscow government.
Why should not those who repre-
sent majority sentiment on this ques-
ton take the time to communicate
their views to members of the House
and Senate representing their several
districts and states? Why leave all
the agitation to pacifsts who make
no concealment Of being out of SYM
pathy with the fundamentals of our
form Of government, and who ac-
company their demands for the dis
arming of this country with constant
criticism of the character and mo-
tives Of the American government?
For these are the people, in large
part, who habitually take the foreign
side of any international controversy
in which this country becomes in
volved. They are the chronic critics
of American institutions. When you
couple the fact that so many Of these
agitators never have a good word to
say for the American government,
with the fact that they wish to dis
arm the United States, it is possible
to have some idea of their motives
in trying to make this country de-
fenseless. 1t is clearly true that
their agitation is not in the interests
of peace, because they know that the
United States harbors no designs of
aggressive war, and will cease to be
power for peace when our inability
to defend ourselves has made our
representations in behalf of peace
seem only an expression Of self in
tereSt.
The surest prescription for war is
for the United States to disarm in
the face of an armed world, not all
of it with a will to peace by any
means. The opponents of reasonable
preparedness are the real war breed
ers in this country. Undoubtedly
some of this protest against keeping
our navy abreast with that of foreign
powers is Of alien inspiration. Those
Americans who really believe in this
country, care for it and wish to save
it from invasion or Instruction.
should make themselves heard, and
not permit the organized enemies of
national defense to create false APP
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