The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1896-01-03
INCREASE MILITARY STRENGTH

war-talk for a time. The examination
which the committee is to make will
occupy lengthy period of time, and till
their report is male no further action
will be taken at Washington. So in the
great rush of events the attention OF
people will be turned to other themes,
and the issue raised by the promulgat-
ing of the Monroe doctrine will for q
while, at least, be allowed to slumber.
In the meantime some of the lessons
which the late furry of impending war
excitement has taught, should not be
overlooked. The country has shown it
is not lacking in that quality of patriot
ism which is go necessary to continued
prosperous existence. From all over
the land came hearty offers of men to
wage the country's battles, and within
short time an army could have been
raised the counterpart, in mum bers, OF
XeIxes' host.
Another fact which has been painfully
Impressed upon observing people is the
critical condition of our means of offense
and defense. Since President Cleve-
land S message was announced attention
has been strongly attracted to the mill
tary conditions attending this country
in the event OF foreign war. The con-
census of opinion is that our condition is
lamentably weak. and ho time should
be lost in reciifying the errors which
our legislators have committed in allow
ing our sea coast defenses to fall into
the deplorable state in which they are,
and in not raising our army and navy to
point of greater usefulness in conflict.
Among the many who have studied this
matter, none have done so more care
fully than Colonel jackson, of the regu-
lar army, now stationed in Portland.
In recent address Colonel Jackson
said:
Patriotism of itself will not save the
republic; coupled with it must be
power. Weakness for defense or offense
is another, and perhaps the greatest
menace to the permanence OF the re-
public.
"Among the great military powers
rank and consideration are accorded in
proportion to the ability of a nation to
defend itself, or its interests, and to in
flict injury in these respects upon other
nations. It does not need much research
in ancient or modern history to know
that weak governments have received,
but little consideration and short shift
when their interests or existence ran
counter to those of strong military
p,wers. CIr.ent history, with which
you are all familiar, shows us that the
world is no better in this respect today
than in the past.
cat the close of the civil war this
country was rated as one of the most
powerful of nations. Nothing but our
great war strength and willingness to
use it induced the British governmen:
to consent to arbitration in the Alabama
claims, and when we declared that the
NJ Jnroe doctrine would be enforced, and
sent 10000 veterans to the Texas from
tier, France took the hint and retired
from Mexico. Does any one suppose
that within ten years OF the close of the
civil war Great Britain would have neg
lected our repeatedly expressed wish TO
have the Venezuela boundary question
submitted to arbitration, or have per-
sisted in the seizure of territory in q
friendly republic, or in the extension OF
the boundaries of British Columbia in
Alaska?
"The nation that would survive in a
word where force is law, must itself be
the most forceful, and there is no dis
guising the fact that We are dangerously
weak as compared with ether nations
: neither is there any doubt that the great
military powers will not hesitate to take
advantage of any weakness of ours to
hamper our progress and despoil our
commerce to their own advantage; that
also is part of the struggle for exist
enee, and to hold our own in the battle
for national life and prosperity we should
at all times be sufficiently strong, not
only to prevent encroachments upon the
soil of American continents to our dis
advantage, but to promote and defend
measures necessary to the success of our
trade relations with other Countries
These words of Colonel Jackson should
be needed. They express truth which
however unpleasant, is no less vital. 1t
would be good for the country If