Evening star., 1934-04-17
INCREASE IN ARMY
AND NAVY URGED
D. A. R. Adopts Resolutions
After Talks by Dern and
Roosevelt.
Continued From First Page.)

Daughters called by the National De-
tense Committee.
President Roosevelt was extended
the thanks and appreciation" of the
Daughters for his gracious and in
spring letter" urging them to pre-
serve this, "a land of equality of
freedom" read before the Congress
last night by Mrs. Russell William
Magma, president general Of the
D. A. r. The resolution adopted by
the Daughters this morning expressed
regret that his official duties prevented
attendance.
For the first time in the history
of the organization an Ambassador
Of Soviet Russia sat on the platform
among other members of the diplo-
matte corps at last nights session.
Alexander A. Troyanovsky and Mrs.
Troyanovsky arrived early, were met
by members of the Reception Com
nittee and escorted to their seats in
prominent place on the stage.
Rumors that a protest from a prom
inent New York State group would be
filed against receiving the Soviet rep
resentative failed to materialize.
Plan Special Meeting.
Meantime. the Congress today
plunged into its second day of busi-
ness, to hear a number of official
reports from its national committees
Carrying forward the national de-
fense idea from the distinguished
session last night, the Daughters
planned to hold a special meeting
in the National Officers Club room
this AFTERNOON, when the principal
speakers were to be Senator David I.
Walsh of Massachusetts, and Senator
Warren Barbour of New Jersey. The
meeting will be under direction Of
Mrs. William A. Becker, chairman
of national defense. Pilgrimages to
Arlington and Mount Vernon had
been arranged for the afternoon.
President Roosevelt'S message came
as surprise to the Daughters, and
was presented by Mrs. Magma in un-
usual fashion. Without explaining
her reason, the president general
asked the assemblage to rise. She
paid tribute to President Roosevelt.
explained his absence due to pressure
of state affairs, pledged loyalty of the
society to the Chief Executive and
then sprung his message as a surprise.
Notable Heritage Handed Down.
In his message, President Roosevelt
said: "The patriots Of the Revolu-
tionary period handed down to their
successors and to us the noblest heri-
tage which Divine Providence has ever
intrusted to any people. The extent
of their achievement sometimes wells
from us full understanding of their
distresses and their difficulties and
tends to obscure our vision of the un-
conquerable spirit of the time, the
spirit of the birth of America. Let us
keep in mind not only what those men
and women did, but also how they
made their very obstacles a part of
their success.
What we are doing for these years
and for our future is the same task,
in kind, as that of our fathers; it holds
the same necessity of devotion to the
common veal; under new conditions
and with an empire of country and of
people we are to keep assured a land
of equality of freedom; this is the
sacred charge which is ours; this is our
noble burden.
"Well do I know that no body of
American citizens could be more stead
fast in their support of our ideals of
liberty and of progress than are the
Daughters of the American Revolution.
Preparedness Insurance.
"With all my heart 7 bid you well
come and godspeed."
Both Secretary of War Dern and
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roose-
welt characterized preparedness as the
best kind of insurance against war.
Both received enthusiastic response
from the crowded hall. and were in
terrupted by applause.
Deploring the fight between "paci-
fists" and "militarists," Secretary of
War Dern laid down program of
national defense and proposed inter-
national cooperation, revision OF rules
of war and international cooperation
designed to make "our beloved country
a good citizen in the community of
nations"
people Bring About War;"
Secretary Dern denied that either
the Army or Navy causes wars. "The
people bring about wars" he said,
"and the Army brings about peace.
Since the Army of the United
States has never in the slightest de-
gree been responsible for bringing
on a war, where is the experience
which justifies the friends of peace in
listing the Army among the causes Of
war? It seems to me they are barking