Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-28
COOLIDGE OUTLINES
NEED FOR DEFENSE
Adequate Forces Called Best
Way to Insure Peace and
Keep Order.

BY the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA March 28.-Calvin
Coolidge. writing in the April number
Of the Ladies' Home Journal on PRO
noting Peace Through Preparation for
Defense" says the force required for
adequate national defense should be
large enough so that others would see
that there would be a great deal of
peril involved in attacking u.s.
They should not be so large" the
former President says. that our coun-
try would feel that we would undergo
no peril in attacking Others"
The article will be the first of three
by Mr. Coolidge to appear in the Ladies
Home Journal on the subject of pro-
noting peace.
The duty of a government is order"
continues Mr.. Coolidge. I'VE are told
that it is heavens first law. In our day
We have come to take order for granted
as something almost self-eXistent. but
| 1t is not. In fact, it is very difficult to
maintain as we are constantly reminded
| by recurring waves of crime, and the
outbreak of warfare. Order is of the
| first Importance. because without 1t We
could have no liberty and no progress.
Property would be of little value. every
home would be insecure and all life i'll
/. danger.
Anarchy's Perils Battlcd.
when the test comes the people will
| give up almost any other human right
20 secure safety and protection. When
ever anarchy imperils State, mill
tary dictator always appears, because
the people prefer him to the lawlessness
Of the mob"
"One of the methods" Mr. Coolidge
writes. by which each government
undertakes to preserve order SO that 1t
may protect It's people from domestic
violence and foreign hoStilitieS Is known
as preparation for national defense.
The great object that it all seeks to ac-
complish is peace, peace for the citizen
at home and peace for the citizen
abroad Preparation runs all the way
from the policeman on the corner, who
is our first line of defense. to the Army
and Navy, with their supporting forth
fications and bases.
We do not have these for the purpose
of making war, but for the purpose Of
preserving peace. The ability to pro-
tect the people within its borders and to
insure to them the security which can
only come from the orderly administra-
ton of law is so much and SO peculiar
ly the first requisite of every govern
ment that under international usage
civilized nations do not recognize gov
eminent which cannot or does not meet
these obligations.
Our Army can be small, because we
are peaceful at home and far removed
from attack by land. Also an army can
be assembled quickly. Our Navy is
more extensive because our shores, our
great commerce and our distant posses
sions must be protected. and 1t takes
wears to build a WarShiD"
mo Sure Way to Prevent War"
Declaring "No sure way has ever been
found to prevent war" Mr.. Coolidge
says that opinions may differ as to
whether nations, with adequate military
forces, are more likely to enjoy peace
than those which neglect their ,defenseS.
In the last analysis. this Is question
of dealing with human nature. Every
one knows that II there were no police
our cities would be ransacked within "a
hours"
Il very strongly suspect that If there
were but one nation In the world sup
piled with an army and navy, and,
to make the superstition as strong as
possible. If that nation were our own,
1t would not be long before the other
nations had been overrun. 1t seems to
me that it is almost moral certainty
that we should find some excuse for
taking that action. But when We know
that other countries have a considerable
ability to defend themselves, it Is hui
man nature for us to regard them with
q more wholesome respect and be more
careful about violating their rights. II
we reverse this picture we can like
wise conclude that II others know we
are prepared to defend ourselves they
will be less likely to commit offenses
against us.
Army and Navy Do TwOfold Duty.
while I have discussed national de-
Tense very largely as method of pre-
venting war, 1t has anothe respect which
is likewise of extreme Importance. Per-
haps peace is an ideal that can come
only to future generations. which are
more perfect than our own. Meantime
we should take every precautiOn to pre-
vent war. of which adequate defense
is one But we should also take every
precaution to protect ourselves to the
fullest possible extent from its ravages,
If 1t does come. The army and navy
serve the double purpose of prevention
and defense"
Grenfell Cancels Lecture Tour.
nArwrr = rprEY Mich AarcL 90