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The Commoner
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12
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Concerning "Preparedness"
By HENRY FORD
Bolow The Commoner reproduces, as a con
tribution to tho "Preparedness" discussion, a
statement which Mr. Henry Ford is running in
tho advertising columns of prominent news
papers and magazines of the country. Ed.
Tho United States, I believe, is confronted by
tho greatest danger In Its history. It is not an
external danger. As tho President said in New
York on January 27: "Nobody seriously supposes
that the United States needs fear an invasion
of its own territory."
Our danger is internal. Wo aro confronted by
tho danger of militarism.
Tho very burden that caused thousands of
men of all racos to come to the United States in
soarch of a haven of peace, to escape the toils of
militaristic government, now is being preached
throughout tho land by men, by newspapers, by
magazines, moving pictures and in fact every
medium of intelligence.
Conscription, tho baso of militarism, is advo
cated openly.
And it s all done under the guise of patriot
ism. The flag Is Haunted boforo tho eyes of the
people and wo aro told that our "national honor"
is at stake.
Tho flaunting was Btartcd by an organization
of men known as tho Navy league. It has been
taken up by really patriotic men, fearful of the
danger which this leaguo first discovered. Other
of theso organizations started up and made
their cry the danger of invasion and tho need of
preparing for It. The secretary of tho navy and
other officials were made the objects of attack
because they, knowing tho truo conditions, re
fused to becomo hysterical.
Congressman Clyde II. Tavennor, delivered in
tho house two remarkable speeches "Tho
World Wido War Trust," and "The Navy League
Unmasked" giving startling revelations of an
organized body of war traffickers who promote
war and preparation for war "preparedness."
Ho charged that the Navy league, which in
spired and financed largely the present agitation
for "preparation," was founded by a group made
up largely of war traffickers. Ho also charged
that among tho most active members and officers
of the leaguo today aro men who not only will
profit from "preparedness," but who actually
hold a monopoly on tho materials for war which
tho government must purchase that these war
trafficking men are in agreement with war mu
nitioners of Europe, barring tho possibility of
the United States government purchasing sup
plies of war at any price but that fixed by the
war-traffickers of tho United States. Mr. Taven
ner's charges novor have been refuted.
The very men who pile up tho armament of
all nations, and it is true that the same firm
will often arm both sides in conflict will find
an 'enemy for any country they arm. And they
will arm that enemy too, for the profits on arms
are great, and tho industry is a monopoly.
This state of affairs has been brought right
homo to Americans in the past few years in Mex
ico, whore wo have seen the same arms manu
facturers arming every side. And tho President,
by raising tho embargo on arms certainly did
nothing for the peace of the world.
Wo ought to realize that it is the people who
not only pay tho bills of these munitions makers,
but pay the penalty also in the death and misery
the use of these arms must bring.
Do wo need preparodness?
The President himself, in his speeches made
recently in tho middle west, could find no fear
of invasion, and his inconsistencies were pointed
out even by tho most ardent editorial advocates
of the "preparedness" plan. In December, 1914
tho President, in his message to congress, said:
Let there bo no misconception. The country
has been misinformed. We havo not been noKli
gent of national defense."
Since that time the President said he had
changed his mind. No personal vacillation, how-
ever, can chango the facts, and in spite of ru
mors and suggestions of fear there have been no
material facts placed before the people of the
country to show that the President had any mil
itary reason for liie chango of mind.
The people should think for themselves and
demand to know tho facta.
Whatever the standing of the country's
safety, this much is due the people; they should
bo allowed to share the secret terrorizing dis
patches tho President declared in his recent tour
ho received almost hourly. The nation is great
enough and the people strong enough to bear
the worst, to know what threatens them.
Not only that, but it is the right of the people
to demand of their President the causes for his
alarm. And if that alarm is not genuine, they
have a right to know why it was uttered by the
head of tho nation.
The people of the United States are patriotic.
But it is time for all to realize that patriotism
does not consist merely of dying for one's coun
try. I believe that patriotism consists more in
living for the benefit of the whole world, of giv
ing others a chance to live for themselves, their
country and the world. A man is naturally pat
riotic, and to cry patriotism at him as is now
being done throughout the country is more of an
insult than a compliment.
I believe, too, that many more men have died
because of ambition, avarice and insincerity than
ever died in a just cause. I have dedicated my
life's work to the education of men on this sub
ject with the hope that if war comes again men
will know before they march against tho ma
chine guns whether they are marching for a just
cause or for ambition, avarice and insincerity.
It is a regrettable fact that many of the me
diums of education in the United States have
been swayed to the cry for big armament. Not
only is this true, but it is equally truo that these
same organs have bred racial hatred by the
printing of incendiary news stories and articles,
preaching fear of one of the European belliger
ents, giving prominence to rumors of unneutral
acts of violence, and paying slight regard to offi
cial denials of the same.
These organs tell us that one of the warring
factions in Europe is bleeding to crush militar
ism, yet in the same pages the assumption of this
beginning of militarism is declared to be the
solemn duty of the United States.
For a hundred years, with Europe fully armoa
and strong, we have been safe. Now, with Eu
rope locked in a deadly embrace and bleeding
to death, we are called upon to fear its invasion
of our shores.
The following from the New York Times of
February 9, printed prominently by the Times
but not conspicuously treated by the great ma
jority of city newspapers, gives some idea of the
facts:
"Washington, February 8. Testimony that
pleased the pacifist element in the house was
furnished to the committees of military and
naval affairs today by General Nelson A. Miles,
1 1 -' retired an Rear Admiral Victor Blue
Jf,01 S11.6. bur.ea" of navigation. General Miles
said he did not fear an invasion of the United
States and that an invading army could quickly
be driven from the country. Admiral Blue dl
clared the navy now was ready to meet T anv
tZTacific" bG CRlled Upon toenS'unter
And, remember, aside from the fact that we
Slh Ie 5 this' there rerains still the grea?-
Zvait ' "012ft5fnol? tha generaVitifs re.
garmng the possibility of any attack bnvo iio
advanced in justification of the attemnt tn X
foundation in reason, is it iintf yituu.t
unpopular government? r to Uphold an
man in the United States a? toJ vw Rainess
suit of military preparation i ?ll ns the re'
and considering the result of tho n Sta,tes'
operations, could so allow his fear 2"
upon by military barrainerq JJ to be ,aed
Plan to make this njgn
have been fine words about 'Veparedn'ess"
"militarism" being totally different, but Europe
knows today that the only difference is in the
spelling.
Congressman Kitchin, who has risked his
leadership of the democrats in the house to op
pose the "preparedness" measure calls attention
to the fact that the United States has been
spending in late years a greater part of its rev
enue for military equipment that has any other
nation in the world. With the billions that
would be spent under the proposed extravagant
program, the tax-payers would be giving nearly
70 per cent of what they contribute to govern
ment revenue for tho support of an army and
navy.
Would any man, preparing to fight a fire in
his shops, store those same shops with tons of
inflammables? Yet that is what "preparedness"
does. And then, of course, must come the inev
itable. What is the share of the man who pays for all
this?
It is the burden of supporting the vast ma
chine until some few men lose their heads and
touch the spark to the ready-built kindling-pile.
Then he must give his life, or come home a crip
ple. For those who remain at the end of the sad
folly there is high taxes and crepe on the door.
Men sitting around a table, not men dying in
a trench, finally settle the differences, anyhow.
If one hundredth of one per cent of all that
has been spent on this kind of "preparedness"
had been used to do away with national and in
ternational differences built up by a diplomacy
originating in the Dark Ages, war would have
ceased long ago.
Every man must admit that the method is
foolish. And even the old time "glory' of war
is dead, the victim of science. Then why con
tinue? Why not begin now to build a machinery of
reason to do the work that the machinery of
force has not accomplished? That is the great
duty facing those who govern.
In all the maze of argument for "prepared
ness" the facts are few. But even its most ar
dent advocates call attention to the coincidence
that this is a presidential election year:
If the cause lies in this fact, and I can hardly
believe it, because I am not very well versed in
political tricks, it is time for the voters to re
mind their congressmen and any other candi
dates who may seek their favor that the people
will not spend their money to arm for invading
ghosts conjured up by the President or any other
man, be he a real patriot or a munitions-patriot.
Let the President and others who are preach
ing this doctrine of fear point out the enemy,
let them prove the enemy comes upon us, and
every American is willing to lay down his for
tune apd his life at the feet of the President, as
Americans have done before.
But the same Americans, a hard-headed busi
ness people, will not lay down a nickel if they
become convinced that they are paying merely
for an election or a re-election to the White
firTilUnd!r F2 BUisAe of defense of borne and
fireside. And these Americans have a very dis-
rrKfryrlne tueir pract,cai Li,a-
I strongly urge every American who is inter-
Sfrff! Jn Slis Hect that should interest afi, to
Jlai2ftHon lyde H' tenner, House o Rep
resentatives office Building, Washington, D.
bottom ofP?hSh28 reyelS " motives" at the
bottom of the "preparedness" agitation.
aires n??t8H,P5e GTy man am3 wman who de-
W te I nrn fCU1ltr3; ??a" remaIn at PCe to
write a protest against the extravagant program
ttTtwoStS'qf fWFite t0 h!s cSressPman S
uie two United States senators from his state
and to the President of the United "tetes A
l5 Plata r W Wm d0 But make mean!
Remember, too, that the men now in congress
who have come out strongly against the nrolect
need encouragement from lioml. They fa? e-
pre"syoaf The'cilS f r.idiUle or rfleVSe
press or the cities, and human nature finds it
?n ' "V1!?'8 won a constant hammer
ing even though the object of the attacks feel
ffrf i?ePfgSSUre rings not of sincerity? if you
feel that the country's safety is being jeonar"
deeper. ne S that !t wil1 strike the
verUsta elSt tatement Panted in the ad
vertising columns of newspapers and macazinea
throughout the United States. OtheV? ?f fol
low. I have no other purpose than to save
America from bloodshed and its youSg men from
conscription. I feel that if this milltiristfc buS
-'- 'iimi.it.
Vv.