Extraordinary Slackers: about 1,000,000 selfish, igno rant and sometimes sleepy Americans, who have no ideal but "business" and the dollar; who day and night strive to rob The Consumer; who would willingly cut the throat of America if they personally could profit by it; who want peace at the German price, or any other price; who are too cowardly to serve their country at the front and too mean to serve at home; who knock on military service, Liberty bonds, the president, the war, and the loyal newspapers. The Non-Partisan League will have to be very careful, or it will soon find itself in this crowd! Already as an organization it appears to be dovetailing with the I. W. W. gang, and hobnobbing with it. "Birds of a feather flock together!" The German-American Alliance now is on trial before Congress and the Legislature of the State of New York, and while the weight of evidence seems to be against it, we suspend judgment until decisions are teached by the tribunals mentioned. CHAPTER XIII Blind Guides and Others "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." By February 1, 1915, every intelligent and observing American should have foreseen that the United States was in great danger of becoming involved in the great foreign war. The German menace was a grave menace, and we were already embroiled with Mexico. In view of those dangers a few persons were endeavoring to arouse the nation to the necessity for quick and thorough "preparedness." Even on Aug. 1, 1914, the U. S. War College was thoroughly awake to the German menace, and communicated a warning and an appeal for preparedness to the War Department. All the men and women who between Aug. 2, 1914, and April 6, 1917, worked against increased armaments and against universal military training, thereby assumed a terrible responsibility. I am thankful that not one of my friends shared it. As joyously and as free from care as schoolboys organizing a picnic, they flocked together, charged down upon Washington, and blithely assured Congress that for us there were no troubles brewing anywhere, and that more men and munitions were not only unnecessary, but positively wrong! With no more comprehension of the future than the Cree Indians who ate up their seed potatoes and starved afterward, they sent up peace toy balloons, to amuse the unthinking and cajole the wise. From its very inception they bitterly fought the idea of universal compulsory military service. There are times when aggressive Folly, organized or unorganized, becomes a crime. Our one reason for now turning back the pages of history for the last three years is that all men may from them learn the fearful object lesson that in war times the price of human folly and shortsightedness is blood and misery! Herein, as a sample case, and as one warning object lesson for the future, I will exhibit now the opposition to one preparedness bill. The display of names is perfectly fair and legitimate; because the persons represented thrust themselves into the public eye, and their sentiments and their exact words all were embalmed in a thick volume of 1,178 pages, published by the Government, and now available. Both for the present and the future it is well that all American's should know how certain people stood toward preparedness, as late as January, 1917, when it was absolutely certain that war between the United States and Germany was inevitable. The cost of this opposition to the Chamberlain bill for universal military service, in time, money and labor was considerable; and all of it goes to show how persistently and willfully wrong-headed men and women can pursue a bad object. Against Preparedness for National Defense. Hearings Before the Committee on Military Affairs Sixty-fourth Congress, First Session: The following persons appeared before this committee in January, 1917, in these hearings in opposition to "preparedness" as proposed in Senate Bill S. 1695: "A bill to provide for the military and naval training of the citizen forces of the United States." Jan. 10. Mrs. Kent and ladies representing "Women's Peace Party" P. 353 Miss Ella Flagg Young, Chicago, pp. 353-7 Mrs. Lucia Ames Mead, Brook line, Mass., · PP. 357-84 Mrs. Amos Pinchot, New York, pp. 382-4 Jan. 13. Dr. Clyde E. Ehinger, State Nor mal School, West Chester, Pa. pp. 505-13 Dr. James P. Warbasse, Brook lyn, N. Y., .... Max Eastman, New York, Editor of "The Masses,"* ✔ W. V. Myers, Columbia Uni versity, N. Y.,† .. PP. 513-22 ... PP. 543-51 PP. 523-25 PP. 525-8 Edwin M. Earl, Columbia Uni versity, N. Y., Edward Dunn, Yale University, pp. 528-32 * Suppressed by the Government in Nov., 1917, for disloyalty. Representing "the Collegiate Anti-Militarism League, a national organization with branches in all the leading colleges." Max Eastman, "Hearings," p. 523. Brent D. Allison, Harvard Uni- ..... PP. 532-5 Hilman Rauschenbusch, Amherst .... J. W. Danahay, Columbia Uni- ✓ Edward N. Wright, University of Nathan P. Arnold, University ...... R. H. Shelton, Trinity College, · PP. 535-9 PP. 539-43 PP. 551-2 PP. 552-3 ....... PP. 557-8 Dr. H. A. Overstreet, College of the City of New York, Dr. I. S. D. Hamilton, Uni. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, p. 558 William Lyon Phelps, Yale Uni |