The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-02-23
Secretary Tail is Speaker B.
fore Union League Club
NAVY SEEMS MORE POPULAR
History Teaches America That War al
Any Time Is Not improbable and
the Country Should
Be Prepared.

! Chicago. February Civilian II. Taft
| secretary of war, was the principal
| speaker tonight at the banquet given BY
the Union League club in celebration of
Washngtons birthday. The secretary's
subject was THE Army of the Republic
He said In part:
In this republic we need an army for
three purposes: First as an essential to
any system of national defense; second
as an Indispensable instrument in carry
ing out our established international
policy, and third, which l may say is the
least important function, the suppression
of insurrection or civil strife.
THE history of this country since the
beginning of the revolutionary war shows
| that during at least one-fourth of the
life of the country the government has
had war on it's hands and in some parts
of its dominion. But the people of this
country and the government of this eoun-
try down to the time of the Spanish
war had pursued a policy which seemed
utterly to ignore the lessons of the past.
BY the exercise of national parsimony,
and project against the efficiency of an
army and the making of proper plans
| for the organization Of national volun-
teers and the drill and mobilization of
the militia, the government and the peo-
pie We're compelled to assume the re-
| sponslbilty for great losses of life and
the expenditure of immense treasure, a
large part of which might have been
avoided had proper and economical meas
ures been adopted for the maintenance
of small but efficient regular army, and
the due preparation in time of peace
for the speedy organization and mobllza-
tion of volunteer and militia force.
Should Be on Guard.
! 1.-THE license of history should forbid us
| to stand in an atmosphere of illusion
respecting the remoteness of war and the
efficacy of a brave but unorganzed peo-
pie to grapple successfully with another
nation equally brave but better organized
We have forces trained and ready to en-
able us to meet a possible foe with
some chance of success. We cannot and
| should not maintain large regular army,
but for a nation Of S0,O000OO, or counting
| in the people who live in our dependencies.
nearly 100000 of people. a regular army
| of 100000 men Is a small force consider
ing especially the fact of the remoteness
of the Philippines, Panama, Porto Rico
and Alaska In addition to the regular
army there should be a provision for an
efficient reserve of national volunteers and
such a plan for the cooperation of the
| militia forces of the states with the
| federal government and its military estab-
| lishment to make that force effective to
repel invasion and constitute an effect
| i've part of our national defense
| "The lesson from the pension fund
! instead OF being it naturally is, re-
| straint upon expenditure to secure an
| efficient army. ought If historically and
| critically considered to be warning
against the lack of preparation.
Navy Is More Popular.
"'rhe construction of a large and eff-
| Client navy is very much more popular
| than the organization and maintenance Of
a small efficient regular army and mil-
| tia system The popularity of the navy
| as compared with the army is doubtless
| partly attributable to the traditional feel
! ing against a standing army while
| navy has rarely If ever been used to hold
down people or prevent the enforce
rnent of the popular will.
"ITnder the influence of the legislation
OF the last six years, however, the army
has tau a great step forward. 1t will
take some time, 1t must take some time,
for the general staff system and other
innovations introduced by Secretary Root
to reach their normal usefulness, but
sufficient proof already has been shown
to vindicate In every way the policy for
which he was responsible. The great dam
ger now TO be anticipated and guarded
against Is that under the stress of pos
sible financial deficit IL will be thought
necessary in the future to reduce the mill
itary establishment and makes futile the
steps already taken for Its Improvement
With the irnprOVementS of the coast de-
fense 1t will not involve great additional
expense
other Wars Not improbable.
'I hope we may never have another war.
But our experience in the past does not
| Justify such hope. It is our duty there
| fore II we would be wise in our genera
| tion to make preparation for a compare
| lively small regular army and efficient
| reserve of volunteers and adequate
| and cooperating force Of state militia. In
this way we shall follow closely the ad-
vice OF Washington given while he was
president in saying:
The United States ought not 10 in
dulge persuasion that contrary TO the
| order of human events, they will forever
| keep at a distance those painful arrange
| nents to which the history Of every ma
| tion abounds.
''There is rank due to the United
| States among nations which Will be with
| held II not abundantly left by the refuta
| ton OF weakness.
"If we desire TO avoid insult we must
be able 10 repel It,
"If we desire to secure peace, one Of
| the most powerful instruments of our
rising prosperity II must be known that
we are at all times ready for war
Funeral Causes Much Excitement.