The times., 1898-05-26
siiIitary Unreadiness.


thing to hear people say that. while we
did not want any trouble with any
body, and certainly did not wish to
buckle up with a friendly power like
Spain, If all Europe were to tackle us
they would find themselves polling their
heads into the lions mouth only to be
chewed up in cne time and one motion.
That was before war was declared
and it was natural. 1t was the kind Of
talk which has passed current on the
Fourth of July and every other patriotic
occasion ever since the civil war. But
while the old iron guns of the rolling
forts and fleet have been rusting, and
national legislators have been refusing
to consider the country's defense they
have piled head over heels over
each other to pour millions into the
corrupt and thieving Improvement" of
mud creeks and clam flats.
| We have found the benefit CT such pa
triotism in the total neglect of ma
tionai defense. Six months ago the War
Department. which ought to have
known better. and probably did except
/ in political sense was confident that
there was a fine, large, abie-bodied
! force of enc hundred thousand armed
and equipped State troops ready at the
country's call. When they were sud
denly needed il was discovered that
they were mostly on paper. A few regi-
ments in New York, Pennsylvania and
Massachusetts, had the bare necessities
/ to furnish volunteer organizations
nominally representing them; but many
other States have marched their quotas
/ into the National Park at Chickamauga
without arms, uniforms. shoes or any
thing else OF a military character.
The state of things disclosed by this
sudden call for soldiers teaches US
two very important and vital things.
In the first place We must never again
be caught with a regular army as
miserably small in relation TO the ex-
tent of the country and its international
possibilities. In the second place.
if we are to pursue the policy of a
skeleton regular force in time of peace,
our militia arm, constituting our only
| army reserve, must not be again left in
the condition of a target excursion or
circus parade organization
We are willing to concede that for
most purposes, the American popula-
ton. when given proper drill and dis
cipline can produce a citizen soIdiery
which even West Point officers would
not be ashamed to lead after a week or
two of actual experience in the field.
! We know exactly as well that, outside
Of a limited number of crack militia
regiments. the service has been farce
and a scandal, and that its reform
should be sweeping and instant.
For some inscrutable reason the coun-
try has lost sight of the fact that the
absence of large standing army i'm
poses the necessity for a respectable,
thoroughly organized. equipped and
disciplined army reserve OF some sort.
1t is possible to find such a force among
the populace OF the country, and service
in il should be matter of course and
compulsory The right of citizenship is
based primarily upon the duty of bear
ing arms. No man is. in principle, en-
titled TO participate in the construction
of governmental power, who is not also
ready and able to add his unit of ef-
| fective force to its ultimate energy of
armed defense or offense.
From this we derive the unanswerable
argument that the time has come when
the militia or reserve power of Ameri-
cas- military arm should be organized
effectively and at once upon the basis
of modern army. We have too long
left the rank and file of our weak and
inadequate National Guard" to the
voluntary instincts of callow boys. We
have been criminal in considering that
a few nominal regiments here and there
of holiday soldiers were all that ever
would or could be required of us in the
way of national defense. We want to
escape from that idea at once and for
ever, and to seize the opportunity of a
state of war to remedy the evil which
niggardIiness, Indifference and sense
less provincialism have brought upon
US.
1t is hardly more necessary for Presi-
dent Mckinley to secure a fighting
| force of American volunteers against
Spain than it is for him to demand of
the country the thorough organization
of a national militia, which shall be
something better than nominal body
of men, The time has arrived when
| Congress and the people can realize
the necessity. 1t only remains for the
proposition to be made in intelligent
form. and the masses, though their State
governments, will gladly respond. Every
school boy who receives his education
at public expense ought to be practi-
cal soldier when he starts out in life,
and ought to serve as such in the re-
serve. Every community should sup
port its quota of well drilled. disciplined
and completely equipped reserves. Only
in this way can our national dignity
and safety be preserved. To adopt the
reform. we should not wait for the end
Of the war. Congress should be called
upon by the military authorities for the
requisite legislation at once.
Eternal vigilance is the price of
liberty!'
would you plunge Wall Street into the