M About Preparedness H HPHAT was a most apt speech made by Senator H Borah in Boston on Mondav night. After H speaking of the necessity of rea able propared- H noss in a military and naval vi y, he called at- H tention to the need of preparedness in another H sense, by asking what would toe done under the H present free trade regime were the war in Europe H to suddenly cease and the impoverished hosts of H those lands "be turned back and at pauper wages H go to work to fill the world's markets with their H wares? The world's markets would include our H own. How long before there would be a cry for H bread among our artisans? With them turned B (back in competition with less skilled toilers, how H long before there would be an industrial war M against which we are totally unprepared under M our present policies? The danger of this ought H to penetrate the free trade brains of the presi- H dent and his majority in congress. H Aside from the national necessity the political B necessity of his party ought to quicken the pres- H ident's mind. M In the campaign of 1912 he and the platform H of his party promised tariff reform, but he B and his party leaders insisted tfeo the tariff should only Jbe reformed down to what would be just, that business men need not be apprehensive. apprehen-sive. The promise was broken shamefully and the treachery was explained on the theory that when the now rule should be tried, the promise would be vindicated. Now it is clear that had there been no war the law by this time would have wrought such havoc in "business as has come every previous time when such legislation has closed our factories, drained the land of money and driven skilled artisans to eat the free soup of charity. Will Mr. Wilson and his party dare to go Into another presidential campai&rt on trie present showing If they do, not even Roosevelt and his dupes can save them. But that Is not the present concernment. What disturbs thinking men is what the condition condi-tion of our own laborers would be were the war to suddenly stop. There are too many idle men now. What would happen with peace abroad?