THe PRESENT STRAINED RELATIONS between the 
United States and Germany demonstrates the folly of 
believing it will be possible for the gevernment to pursue 
a laissez faire policy concerning the army and navy. As 
much as America loves peace it cannot be obtained by 
crying for peace when there is no peace. The time has 
not yet come when this nation or any other nation can or 
will disarm. The barbaric in human nature has not yet 
been eliminated.. Dreams that some are entertaining that 
this war will result in disarmament of the powers that 
are now in combat cannot be realized. The necessity of 
a navy and army is apparent. America may believe in 
peace, but the weak-kneed, careless, happy-go-lucky way 
in which it cares for both arms of its military service 
is an open invitation to well-disciplined and unscrupulous 
foreign powers to be careless in their endeavors to main- 
tain peace. It is true a large naval and army force in any 
country presents a serious problem in a political way. 
Every fighting recruit has a desire to see the equipment 
used. On the other hand a respectable navy and a work- 
able army commands respect and in itself is a deterrent 
to a foreign power. In diplomatic “battles” the armed 
forces must still. add “weight” to the skilful maneuver- 
ings of the statesmen. The sense of Augustus Peabody 
Gardner’s arraignment of the national naval and military 
policy is apparent. In Europe when conflict began he was 
able to see the contest through the eyes of the Europeans 
and could easily learn such lessons as it might teach 
America. . The present crisis demonstrates the folly of 
thinking that it is going to be possible for this country 
to close.its eyes to the serious problem of equipping and 
maintaining the navy and army efficiently. 
A New York Paper is. dismayed because Theodore 
Roosevelt is not in the chair at the White House. What 
this country needs at this time is not a pugnacious Theo- 
dore, but a cautious and deliberative Wilson. This 
country has been everything to be grateful for. There 
is one man who has been obliged to bear the brunt of this 
terrible problem and he is the President. The country 
learned his temperament and his spirit in the Mexican 
crisis. A smaller man would have rushed into war in 
Mexico and the same temperament would have precipi- 
tated a contest now, and in the double fight America 
would be involved in a world war of unthinkable terrible- 
ness. 
Rev. B. R. BuiKeLEy has concluded a long and suc- 
cessful pastorate at the Unitarian Church in Beverly. He 
has been a frequent and welcome speaker in Manchester 
and his removal from the Shore will be a distinct loss. 
Ir Looks as THoucn the City Government in a 
neighboring city. were not interested in maintaining the 
discipline of its police force. 
Brnty SuNDAY needed all his vocabulary to give his 
Opinions, 
Moruer’s SUNDAY was fittingly observed. 
MANCHESTER IN Common with the many towns oi 
the Commonwealth has been prosecuting with vigor a. 
clean-up campaign. Inside and out the broom, the pail, 
soap, water and paint have been doing their part in the 
world’s work. Clean-up and paint-up has been a slogan 
that has won. The fight with dirt is a year-round prob- 
lem; despite the successes of the week it will be a con- 
test along this line all summer to win true success. No- 
thing is more attractive in a village than to see its streets 
well cared for, its sidewalks clean and well constructed, 
with respectable garden plots and home sites and with 
growing grass carefully cared for. 
house cleaning of our grandfathers becomes the revival 
of a community policy. Everybody has been cleaning 
up and painting up and now it remains to keep it up. 
Tue New Haven Rarroap has won a partial vic- 
tory in its fight for relief legislation. 
sign, for it indicates a change in public opinion. The 
railroads have suffered from hostile legislation and the 
change now means much for the railroads of New Eng- 
land. The attacks which have emanated from certain 
quarters in the past have not always been made with the 
sincereest motives. With relief legislation actually voted 
by the legislature the New England lines can continue 
their reconstruction work with a possibility of success. 
TuHere ArE No GERMAN Liners being torpedoed. 
There are none plying between America and Germany. 
Great Britain has been able to maintain her supremacy of 
the sea without a first class naval encounter. The sink- 
ing of the Lusitania was possible because of Great Brit- 
ain’s freedom on the sea. 
THERE WAs TRoNy OF Fare in the tragic lost on the 
Lusitania of.Isaac B. Trumbull. The firm which he 
represented had refused to participate in the manufacture 
of war materials as a matter of conscience. ‘The brothers, 
however, are determined to change their policy. What 
a terrible and relentless human malice is! 
AMERICANS who have been travelling to and from 
Europe with daring and impunity will now act with more 
caution. Travel to Europe in these days is no child’s 
adventure. The place for Americans is in America. Let 
the old world fight out its fight to the bitter end. 
EVERYONE 1s Now INvTERESTED in the mysteries of 
the garden. What a wonder and revelation spring is with 
all its glory after the cold and wearisomeness of winter ? 
Nature, cruel and unkind as it is, has nevertheless her 
comforting and cheering powers. 
THe Propuetrs Wuo Saw the end of the war in 
three months have another sad guess. The world is “in” 
for a long hard contest and it is about time that the seri- 
ousness of the situation was realized. 
HuMANITy First is Wilson’s ideal and America is 
in accord with him. 
The old-fashioned | 
This is a good — 
