Daughters in Arms

Fortnight ago when President Hoover addressed the Daughters of the American Revolution on world peace and U. S. entry into the World Court, he carefully assembled all the best arguments in behalf of this prime U. S. policy (TIME, April 21). He balanced the reduction of national defense against the elimination of international jealousies and friction. He spoke of the London Naval Conference achievements in terms of reduced ill will rather than reduced warship tonnage. He de- clared:

"The practical program of the work of peace is to develop and create appropriate agencies for regular methodical disposal of controversies. . . . We have need steadily to expand their machinery and method. . . . The World Court ... is established and no other court is practicable. It has demonstrated the highest integrity and capacity. . . . Adherence to the Court has been recommended by every one of the U. S. presidents since its inception. No one can challenge the patriotism of these men. They have found no entanglement ... by safeguarded membership."

President Hoover had need of his best arguments before the D. A. R. because that organization has perennially exhibited an unofficial hostility toward the World Court. Its radio speakers have flayed U. S. participation in European affairs, have clamored for increased national defense. Pleased was the President when, in response to his speech, the Daughters gave him not only polite applause but a few cheers of real enthusiasm.

Two days later, however, the Daughters received on the convention floor the kind of resolution that really fires them. With whoops, cheers, applause they adopted it. Excerpts:

"We feel convinced that we must have adequate naval resources. . . . While in no sense are we of a militaristic mind, we are not yet convinced that propaganda has so far transformed human nature to a point where it is no longer necessary to protect American interests. The enemy is not only within our gates but without and we do not feel the time has come for us to scrap our ships and render ourselves defenseless. . . . Until satisfactory conclusions are reached (at the London Naval Conference) we had rather go forward with equipment to meet any emergency than take a chance that the millennium is close at hand."

The cheering for President Hoover's "peace talk" and the cheering for the "war resolution" prompted Funnyman Will Rogers, in his syndicated newspaper article, to ask: "Now what's the answer? The only thing I can make out of it, the Daughters like to cheer."

Though the Daughters, possibly out of courtesy to the President, refrained from any outright declaration against the World Court, they left no public doubt where they stood when they went into further gales of enthusiasm at Richard Washburn Child's declaration against the Court, which he called "the attorney for the League of Nations."

One of eleven candidates for eight vacant vice presidencies-general of D. A. R. was Mrs. Theodore Jesse Hoover, the President's sister-in-law. She was defeated by 37 votes. The idea spread that her rejection was intended as a slap at President Hoover. The Daughters explained that it was nothing of the kind, that her defeat was primarily due to a factional fight in the California delegation.

Last year several Daughters resigned from the organization in protest against its black list" of liberal public speakers. This year the resignation list was headed by Mrs. William Thayer Brown, neighbor and chapter-mate of Mrs. Thomas Alva Edison in West Orange, N. J. Reason: "A policy of frustration that serves only to prolong the militaristic program indefinitely."

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