Show GENI GREAT SPEECH on wednesday december 1920 general pershing in the city ot of new york in the presence ot of adre mo re than a thousand people delivered an eloquent t address that will long be memorable it were fitting that this speech should be memorized and delivered in our schools it should be read by every red blooded right thinking citizen atter after addressing the chairman and the distinguished assembly speaking in behalf behala ol of peace e and cisar disarmament cament general pershing said As we contemplate the causes ot of the world war and realize its horrors every right thinking man and woman must feel eel like demanding that some steps be taken to prevent its recurrence an important step would be to curtail expenditures tor for the maintenance of navies and armies the estimates recently presented to our congress for naval and military purposes contemplate an appropriation for the next fiscal year amounting to over five million dollars for or every working day in the year it I 1 is a gloomy commentary upon world conditions that expenditures several times greater than ever before in peace times should he be considered necessary especially when the most rigid economy in governmental administration is essential it if we would avoid national bankruptcy dut but we are only one of 0 the many nations that contemplate taking upon themselves such an enormous burden in addition to their tremendous yar war debts the world does not seem to learn f from rom experience it would appear that the lessons ot of the past six years j should be enough to convince every body of the danger of nations striding i up and down the earth armed to the teeth but no one nation can reduce armaments unless all do it then time for ari an awakening among enlightened peoples to the end that the leading powers may reach some rational agreement which would not only relieve the world of this terrible financial load but which in itself would be a long step toward the prevention of war ours is not an aggressive nation we want no territory and we have no designs on other people it if other nations have the same attitude it seems unreasonable not to believe that all would be willingto prove it by consenting to limited armaments unless some such move be made we may well ask ourselves whether civilization does really reach a point where it begins to destroy itself and whether we are thus doomed to go headlong down through destructive war to darkness and barbarism barbari tm the two hundred billions of war debts that piled up are so enormous as to stagger comprehension but the actual loss of life in the armies and the material loss in property seem small in comparison with the dreadful sacrifices that were forced upon a still greiter greater number of helpless women and children both during and after the war the destruction ot of stable government the disturbance of 0 peacetime peace time production and commerce the huge war debts the loss ot of breadwinners bread winners tile the misery the penury and the extreme suffering of the innocent total by tar far the greatest calamity that has ever overtaken the human race we have seen whole nations sink to the lowest depths ot of abject want and poverty appalling numbers ot of women and children accustomed to all the necessities and many of the luxuries of life have either dleo died or ob staining only meager supplies have merely prolonged the agony of death that awaited them today to day even the most destitute ot of our own children in america are rich in comparison with millions ot of children ot of the poverty stricken nations ot of E europe drope who appeal to us tor for help it seems to me that it there ever was a time in the history ot of the world when human sympathies should be stirred to activity it Is during this atter after the war period A mere recital of 0 the facts should till 1111 our hearts with the tender emotions that prompted th the e master alaster to say suffer little children t to 0 come unto me lie and forbid t them ent not tor for of 0 such is the kingdom of heaven |