The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-28
WE SHOULD BE PREPARED IN
FUTURE.


We recur this morning to lord VOLS
| lcy's statement about the present war
that we published yesterday. one part
| OF It ought to set our peoDlo,so doing
a great amount of thinking. lie said;
lit IS fortunate for the United States
| that this war Is not with a iirst-class
Power. for St is evident that In such an
encounter they would be badly beaten
| at the beginning. though / believe the
Americans are able TO defeat any nation
in the long rum
A candid man who understands the
case cannot doubt that Lord Wolsley was
right in saying that II this war were
with a frst-class Power we should have
most probably suffered some severe re-
verses at the beginning. Suppose it had
been with Germany for instance IT Is
no disparagemcnt TO our navy TO say
that il would have been no match for
the German navy. Ship for ship 1t is
a match for the navy Of any country In
the world. But we cannot expect the
Massachusetts, or the oregon TO con-
tend successfully with two ships Of their
own character and all Of our battleships
would have had a fight at least. two II
we had had war with Germany In all
human probability then. we should have
been unable TO prevent Germany landing
an army upon our territory. Germany
has. at all times, nearly six hundred
thousand Of the best drilled and equipped
troops On the world ready TO move at
an hours notice. Within three or four
weeks from declaration or war she
could probably have landed five hundred
thousand OF her soldiers upon Long ISL
and Sound. with what could we have
met this force? with absolutely
nothing that could oppose It for a mo-
ment. We have now been some six
weeks organizing q volunteer army Of
125 900 men and it is not yet organized.
There has been but one division drill
that we have seen any account Of and
there are probably not twenty regiments
that have ever been exercised in regi-
mental functions. il IS hard 10 say where
an army of 10000 thoroughly prepared
Germans could have been stopped. Lord
Wolsley is perfectly right in saying
that this country would defeat any Power
ip the long run. Our resources are SIM
ply unlimited and after a while we
should gather such forces around an
invading army that its destruction would
be certain. But we might suffer losses
between the time Of the invasion and the
time when we were able 20 cope with It
successfully that would seriously cripple
us for many years. The lesson Of this
war then, is, that we should never again
allow ourselves TO be caught in the UNI
prepared state in which this war found
us How, for instance would we arm
an army capable Of coping with great
invading army? We have no more Of the
magazine Iines adopted for use in our
army than are necessary to arm the reg
ulars and we have TO arm the volunteers
with the discarded Springfield rife This
is an effective weapon, but It is not
magazine one and all the soldiers of tho
civilized world are now armed with mag
izine rifles. even the Spaniards that we
are going TO attack in Cuba. But there
IS not even a supply Of the Springfield
rifles adequate TO arm such a force as
would be necessary for repelling an in
vasion. We must manufacture the weap-
ons both small and large, for after hos
tnties are declared we shall be unable
TO buy any in foreign countries
Some remarks The Times made few
days back along these Inns have been
misunderstood in some quarters and they
have been referred TO as proof that The
Time was in favor Of our having large
standing army. Our remarks justified
no such inference and The Times has no
thought Of such a thing. Indeed The
Times abhors any such thought But
1t is entirely possible for us to be
fully prepared TO meet any emergency
and not to increase our standing army
either. What we want is a sufficient
and an effective volunteer organization
i'm each State. to be and remain State
troops until the United States gets into
war when they should be liable to be
turned over TO the United States, en- bloc,
for the purposes of that war. Their en-
listment as state volunteers should be
with that distinct understanding and
agreement All that is necessary for
having such a force IS for Con-
gress TO provide the army and the tents
and a military fund to pay for an en-
campment during the month of August
in each year. II this We're done We
would at once have complete, sufficient
and thoroughly organized volunteer force
in each State. Then Congress should
provide at least one million Of the
most improved rifles with an adequate
supply OF ammunition and keep them
always I'm store in several central places
I'm the country. With these provisions
and an adequate increase Of our navy,
we may defy the world.
LOUISIANA'S PREDICAMENT.