The Washington times., 1937-03-20
LEGION URGES
SUPPORT OF
ARMY DAY

Veterans Of the World WaI
sole custodians Of the ideals o
enduring peace" yesterday wer
called out in support Of Army pa,
observance by Harry w. Colmery
of Topeka, Kan, national CON
of the American Legion
Commander Colmery's full in
dorsement follows:
"Army Day on April 6, 1887,
will mark the twentieth ami
verSary Of the entry Of our
country into the great World
War. 1t will mark also the an
niverSary Of a mOmentOuS epoch
in the life of every LegiOnnaire
for on this date in 1917 the die
was cast which was to lead the
steps Of more than four million
of us to training camps and can
tOnments and from there to for.
eign battlefieldS.
"WORLD NOT READY"
1--WE went with pride In our
hearts to be able to fight in de.
fense of the ideals to which our
nation gave birth. We went with
the inspiration of a noble vision
of bringing about enduring
peace among all the nations Of
the earth. We helped glOriOusly
to end that war, but time has
proven that this was not the war
to end all wars.
"It is only proper and fitting
that on this important anniver-
sary Of our dedication to the
cause Of universal peace, we Of
the American Legion should take
the lead in calling the attention
of all our citizens to the lessons
to be drawn from our great sac
rifices of two decades ago.
"The world is not yet ready for
universal peace. The forces Of
greed, hatred and of conquest
have triumphed over the ideal
ism we have sOwn. Once more
the world is preparing for an
other war, deadlier than the last.
Once again we are the sole Gus
tOdians of the ideals of enduring
peace. Once again America will
be privileged to be the hope Of
all despairing nations.
"We must awaken to the OBJ
legations of our custody. We
must, at all costs consistent with
our national honor, preserve and
maintain our peace that we may
at some future date, when the
world is ready for it, take the
leadership of the nations Of the
earth once more toward endur-
ing universal peace.
ITO do this we must make
ourselves strong enough to COM
mand the respect Of those ma
tiOns which today understand
no language except that of force.
We must maintain a national de-
fenSe adequate enough to insure
our own peace. America will
never be guilty of aggression.
But it is a land of enviable
wealth and will invite attack
unless it is strong enough to
defend itself.
1--WE SEEK ONLY PEACE"
1--WE must also enforce ade-
quate neutrality regulations to
keep us out of other nations
wars. And we must remove the
profit motive from war through
the enactment of a universal
service law both to make us
stronger in the event of an
other inevitable war and to
eliminate the influence of greed
that fattenS upon conflicts.
I'm the hope of bringing these
vital facts home to the average
citizen, April 6 has been desig.
mated as Army Day. On this
date an opportunity is given to
all citizens to take stock of the
state of our national defense
and to inquire what steps have
been taken in these days when
other nations are arming to the
teeth, to provide Sec::rity for the
peaceful pursuits of American
citizens.
ITO this end / call upon all
posts of the American Legion
and upon all patriotic citizens
to join most heartily in the
proper observance of Ar-1y Day,
that all may understand that
we seek defen-c for peace only,
not for war"
Al ARnALR RI An