Show COOLIDGE REBUKES THOSE WHO CONDEMN DEFENSE DAY Says Mobilization Day Is Misnomer for Inspection Day Would Abolish War But Nation Must Not Be Unprotected WASHINGTON July 26 H Pres PresIdent Pres President ident Coolidge today rebuked as unfair those thoRo who o ha hll e con condemned con con- condemned condemned out ut of hand band Rim simply plY through the del do leo Ice ot of misrepresentation the tho plans of oC the gov gov- government government for tor ance of oC na- na national na national defense day on September 12 The presented his comment in a letter to J LIbbi e secretory secretary of oC the Council tor for Freen- Freen tion of Var War an organization today loday a 0 cam cam- campaIgn campaign campaign In behalf of oC world orld opera co cooperation cooperation cooperation tion toi fol peace and which had Asked the president to endorse the mo ino ement Declaring he ho had been with the aim and purpose to make ear Bar so nearly as might be an art Impossibility In this world the president In his hlo letter made public at the WhIte House sid Bald s he could not det detect ct any any Incon Inconsistency In gIvIng giving giving ing my al sl to the program o of defense day SCORIA u I I Ish clIme ml might ht be abol abol- abolIshed abol- abol abolIshed abolished but I would not abolish courts and police protection protection tion ha lie added I I wish Ish war might be e made Impossible but I not leave my country Un- Un Unprotected un unprotected protected mean meanwhile Tho The defenso test seems to me mo a means to as- as suie as-suie sub SUI e the tho fullest efficiency to the thee e extremely modest modes defense force torce our country maintains maIntain The rhe presidents president's letter dated JUly 23 follows tollo My Iy Dear Mr Libby Some dais I ago I received a leUr from 3 as executiVe secretary of the National Counsel for Cor pre prevention of oC War Yar Informing me that that 01 Is pre pre- paring for tor a campaign In behalf of DC the world orld orid co operation for tor peace to begin July 27 30 on the tenth annh ar of the outbreak outbreak out- out outbreak break of oC the tho great war ar It Is In- In Intended intended tended to be bo a great outpouring of oC the genuine peace sentiment of America We Ye believe bellee belle e It to be bein bein In harmony with ith lour our own put pur- poses poe po eq as expressed on many occasIon oc- oc occasions casIon We Ve respectfully ask asic lour i our endorsement o of the dem- dem demonstration In reply by m my direction the secretary to the president wrote to you sa Ing The president asks me to ledge receipt of oC our letter or of June Juno 30 with aith the assurance of oC othis his most hearty sympathy S fore for e cry e cry proposal to mini mini- minimize mize tho the danger o of war ar As you know he ho has repeatedly expressed himself In this tenor and OU may be sure of oC his continued and most genuine friendliness for fore ery c e e cry ery a worthy orthy and effective c effort along these line lines As i li h well HII kno n to all person per- per soni son who ho have base ha e done dono me the honor to with my public expression on this subject I ha hae ha e been unqualifiedly sym sym- sympathetic sympathetic pathetic with aith Ith the aim and purpose to o mal make o oar war ear so nearly as might be tee an Impossibility In this world orld Doubtless this Is a 0 counsel of oC perfection per- per not to be realized without much earnest effort to that ef- ef effort ef effort fort Cort when hen guided along feasible i I Jia o e repeatedly pledged m assistance I hOT oOT I OT RI TIC It Is now brought to my attention attention atten- atten tion that your organization Is if profoundly concerned because ot of the assumption that the plans for tor torI fora foia I a national defense test on Sep Sep- September September Sep 12 constitute a militaristic gesture This assumption seemS to be based chiefly on a confusion confusion con- con confusion fusion of o terms In some unofficial final and entirely unauthorIzed way the defense test has been i denomInated mobilization da dar the government go did not do this It would be proper to call it In In da but It Is not a mob mob- mobIlization mobilization and the government Is not I tor for any such des des- desIgnation designation Ignation As a result some sell meaning people have havo misconstrued Its ch and purposes as- as assumIng suming that a wide nation mobil mobil- mobilIzation of o forces and of oC the ch ll cl 11 ian and Industrial resources avail avail- available available available able for national defense Is to be b carried out on that da This of oC o course Is far tar from the thu truth tru h O 0 IWar Ij RGE ARMY The The constitution and anti the law lav contemplate the maintenance of oC oCa ofa oa a defense establishment which In time of oC peace alas al a s probable and Is now In proportion to our ou r national po power or and Interests one on ot of the smallest In the tho world I Iha ha hae have e taken an oath to support the th constitution and to execute the th laws ot of the United States I could coun do this by maintaining a large larg standing army I am opposed to ti any such I am trying to work out a method by which wo we can have constantly as aa we ae e now not r hil hae an exceedingly small army and leave leao lea 0 our citizens tree free from tron that burden by letting them as as- as assume sume sumo their own responsibility for tor tora fora to a defensive e establishment sut- sut to pro pro ide Ide for tor domestic den defonse peace and nd order erder and national de- de tense ten Instead of oC being a military gesture this plan Is the exact opposite It IL Is a 0 a non non-militaristic gesture for tor tho the purpose of DC keep keep- keeping Ing do down doan n to Its lowest point the professional military or or- or atlon o ot of the tho United Sta a Our country has always alwa a relied chiefly for tor Its defense defonso upon the tho readiness of oC Its Ita patriotic manhood to ta talc take c up arms when necessity presented After the groat mill tary effort ot of the United States Slated In the world acrId war ar our army was demobilized ed more rapidly nod an completely than that ot of any other warring nation AIMS IS TIO Not Not only this but the tho govern meat ment of o the United States Initiated t the he Washington conference on limitation or of o armament which brought about highly Important reductions In the naval establish I of oC tho the great powel powei powen II and an which sought though without re- re re suits to effect also an agreement tor for red reduction of oC o armies armis Undiscouraged by the tho failure to effect a 0 limitation of oC armies our govern govern- ments ment's authorized la lae ha e repeatedly sInce Binco that thaC time de- de declared dared their wish to bring about a further consideration of this question with a 0 lew lew to pushing n a genera reduction ot of armed forces forcen by land In In tho the face of this record I which ll is known to all the tho world It seems Mems unfair that the tho plans plan for tor defense n dav day should be con con- con condemned out of oC hand simply simpi through the device of oC I I I I Our government Is 10 corn com compelled com compelled to confront the tho realities of the world One of oC these Is that International agreement for Cor or limi limi- limitation limi- limi limitation limitation tation ot of armies has not been brought Into Inlo effect That being the tue case caso our las laus la s provide a small Pel manent army ft and nd contemplate its Ita expansion to meet met s should they arise arle PREPAREDNESS iTh COSTLY Defense day Is Intended to bring to the tho people a reminder of oC their relations to and dependence upon this skeleton de defense ense establishment In case caso our country bo be ced att There can be no doubt that failure to prepare tor for the tho possibility of or war at a time when that possibility was really Imminent imminent Imminent nent resulted In great hardship unnecessary expense and the un unjustifiable un- un unJustifiable unjustifIable justifiable prolongation of ot the world war To state this li h i but butto butto butto to state what everybody knows public It Is Je desirable that both bolh the tho pub pub- pub lic officials who would be responsible BIble sible for the tho national defense and the people who aho ho would ha base haic e to tomako tomake tomake make mako the tho sacrifices to maintain tt it should know something of oC our plans for tor It It What Is proposed for tor September 12 Is merely a 0 compliance compliance ance anco with aith the tho purposes of oC the na- na na national I defense law of oC 1920 It Ii Is IsI not a mobilization and the people who first attached to It the tho term I mobilization day and then pro pro- proceeded pro proceeded to condemn It haie e been utterly unfair Mot Most ot of them I Iam Iam Iam am sure euro have hae hll e been Innocent of Intent to be unfair but they have been misled WOULD x n An Profoundly hoping that the tho outlawing of ot war ar from this may be accomplished I am nm yet unable to detect any Inconsistency In giving gl my soy al to the pro pro- program program pro program gram of oC defense day I wish crime mIght be abolished but I would not therefore abolish courts and police protection I wish war might be bo made Impossible I but I would not leave Jell my country Un- Un Unprotected un unprotected protected mean meanwhile The defense test seems to me roe a means to as- as assure assure as assure sure the fullest Culles efficiency to the extremely modest defense force Corce our country maintains go 00 |