The professional soldiers and sailors don't want to disarm. No admiral wants to be without a ship. No general wants to be without a command. Both mean men without jobs. They are not for disarmament. They cannot be for limitations of arms. And at all these conferences, lurking in the background but all-powerful, just the same, are the sinister agents of those who profit by war. They see to it that these conferences do not disarm or seriously limit armaments.
About This Quote
About Smedley Butler
Smedley Butler was a 19th-century united states marine corps officer, author, and lecturer. Smedley Darlington Butler was an American major general in the United States Marine Corps, writer, anti-war activist, and whistleblower. During his 34-year military career, he fought in the Philippine–American War, the Boxer Rebellion, the Mexican Revolution, World War I, and the Banana Wars. Read more on Wikipedia →