The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-05
ovERESTIMATIN6 STRENGTH.

many boaStful things nave Deem Se1u,
has permitted itself to be expelled from
northern Korea and to be defeated,
with the loss of twenty-eight guns and
1900 men, in southern danchuria- With
every reason to have taken the agrees
sive it has kept still while the Jap
anesa modified 100000 men in Korea
and entrenched them there. With a
year or more in which to put troops
into Manchurfa, the approach OF war
found Russia possessed of but small
force in that quarter; and it dis
covers, after fighting has begun, that
it needs two tracks for the over
land railway instead of one to en-
able it TO feed as many soldiers AZ
Japan can put against It. Little OF
nothing on the Cars side was ready
for war; on the Mikado's everything
was ready and much of it had been
for years.
The circumstance recalls the French
military bluff which ended in 1870. Fol-
the previous decade France had been
the arbiter of continental EUROPE with
out having very much to back the
claim. For years the Lontion Times
gave Its leading articles b the con-
sideratson of Louis Napoleon and his
plans. Indeed. its comment on the
American civil War was. as rule,
secondary to its comment on things
French. Yet In point of truth the mill
fary might of france was mostly on
paper and N the traditional iuster of
the NapoIeonic name. When the great
test came the military empire OF the
third Bonaparte was crushed like the
ground-bird's nest under the hoof of
the OK.
Italy,s bluff was called by Menelek.
the savage King. In one days fight
ing, the Triple Alliance was deprived
OF the services of a frst-rate military
power and compelled to put up with
those of a third rate one. Nc one has
cared much for the Italian army since
that fatal day in the Abyssinnian
mountains. p
Great Britain, lulled into a sense Of
military security by triumphs over
negroes and Dervisnes started on q
holiday parade to Pretoria. While the
long deferred end was victory, the cost
in men and money and the humiliation
of national pride were gigantic. The
- -. LII "a ~. i,,ar1aesTia te
change in British military organization
It showed how badly Great Britain
might have Jared in land battles with
a hrst-class power and has brought
about comprehensive scheme of army
reform
Austria has always, in modern times,
been a bluff in a military way. It was
particularly so in the time of Napo-
leon L. Indeed the great corsican
found all continental Europe pre-
tence save bis own empire; and under
his blows the army organization which
Frederick the Great had bequeafhed to
Prussia went to pieces like an empty
gourd.
The trouble seems to be that military
nations have tendency to live on the
capital OF their past triunphs and not
to make new capital as they go along
for future or present emergencies
Early successes usually win them long
leases Of peace; peace brings prosperity
and as wealth accumulates men decay.
Remembering Jena and Austerlitz, the
French did not prepare for Metz and
sedan: recalling Egypt and the relief
Of Lucknow, the British did rot get
themselves in shape to cross the Mod
der river; dwelling on the repulse OF
Napoleon. the Russians cannot con-
ceive themselves worsted by japanese;
and for years after the Civil War the
Americans let their army and navy go
TO pieces, only to find themselves. when
confronted by war with fifth rate
power like Spain, compelled to strain
every nerve for months TO get into any
sort of military preparation for it.
Some time, If Japan wins from Rus
STA, prosperity VIII work its deadly in
fiuence even upon that hardy and mill
tant empire. But meanwhile 1t will be
wen for any nation that intends to
challenge her might. to put the past
aside and armor itself for twentieth
century conditions. The methods OF
war and even the spirit of the people
continuously change; and a great pow
er. to keep its status. must see that it
adapts itself to the one and properly
directs the other. It cannot sit. like the
figure on the silver coin. forever look
ing backward If it does, it win, like
the Romans of old. when the sayages
swept down from the North. be taken
unawares.
The nar.srcracxy win not name apv