Page:Frank David Ely -Why defend the nation? Sound Americanism... (1924).pdf/30

26 their own. We believe in the sacredness of treaties, and in the utter inviolability both of these and of the spoken word, given in bond.

In the light of these convictions, we are impressed with the great wisdom of our forefathers in “providing for the common defense” and we regard that provision as absolutely vital to this free government.

In our utter abhorrence of war and all that war entails in suffering, want, hardship, and privation we have constantly invoked the real friendship of all civilized nations, and of their people as individuals, and sought their aid in all that might serve in the honorable avoidance of war, which we recognize as an effect as distinguished from a cause, and therefore avoidable through wise leadership and right conduct. To this end we have been a party to every conference that has been called to consider international measures for peace, and we ourselves called the Peace Conference in 1921 of all the Powers. And our own representatives to that conference led all others in proposing drastic reductions of fleets and of armament, proposals which met with not unready acceptance and which, in the present impoverished condition of much of the world, is of vast direct benefit to every living human being, and to all posterity for decades to come. No other nation has ever accomplished so much.

Because for its successful prosecution National Defense demands the services of every man and the use of every dollar, no nation can during peace maintain ample forces devoted solely to readiness for defense without unwise drains on all production and occupation. Power in defense lies in the will of the people, in the national morale, and in the national ability to rapidly convert all the potential powers in finance, industry, and manpower into elements for combat and for supply. No longer can regularly maintained forces alone afford adequate insurance to the Nation. War has utterly changed. Modern transportation and distribution make possible the accomplishing in weeks what formerly occupied months or years, or indeed was beyond accomplishment. A nation now at war must be all at war, else it is lost. It is felt that the late and lamented President Harding founded the greatest movement for the prevention of war, and one worthy of the award of