Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-12
STRENGTH OF NATIONS,


A contributor 10 the March number
Of the North American Review argues
very strongly for an increase Of the
United States army. According to him
We are entirely unprepared for war
with any Of the large nations II Japan
made n move against the Philippines,
he asks, what hope could we have OF
opposing 10 1t a force that could cope
with liz 100000 Manchurian veterans?
Then he says, In part
"No nation In the entire history OF
the world has yet neglected It's mill
tary strength without ultimately pay
ing tine penalty. France was the fore
most military power from 1900 TO 1872.
and again in 1860. and Russia was
presumed to be invncible less than
three years ago Yet we all know
what terrible humiliation France un'
derwent In ls70-is7i and what de-
feats Russia has just suffered. Do
we fondy imagine that we are going
to escape the consequences. when. In
actual fact, we are not one whit bet
ter prepared for war than they We're?
we have gone on entirely too long la
boring under grave delusion and
giving a new version TO the old prov
erb so as to make il read The Lord
takes care of babes fools and the
United States, We have become
World Power with duties and re.
sponsibilities which we never have
had before. We have rich possessions
upon which other nations naturally
took with covetous eyes we have
great country whose prosperity is un-
exam pied Unless We are strong
enough TO hold the one and to protect
the other, our day OF reckoning is sure
10 come
II may be pointed out by way OF
comment on this military argument
that the real origin Of the disasters
that befell France In 1870 and Russia
recently, can be found IN moral, rather
than in military weakness And this
is always true in cases Of national de-
feats Israel did not cease to be an
Independent nation, until I'D moral
status became intolerahle. Greece.
Rome Poland tell the same story. We
do not underestimate the importance
of an efficient military force, but We
claim that the moral soundness of a
nation Is even still more important.
and that the experiences Of France
and Russia prove this truth.
The French Emperor was at the be-
ginning OF the year 1860 at the zenith
OF power and influence. lie was looked
up to as the arbiter of the fate OF the
world almost. Then came his inter-
ference with the affairs OF Mexico. He
induced England and Spain 20 join
France In a punitive expedition. to
collect some money due. but Napoleon
was not satisfied with this. He went
farther and Joined the enemies OF
President Juarez In Mexico, IN a con-
spiracy to make an empire of the re-
public and place n brother Of Francis
Joseph OF Austria. the archduke Max
imilian, on the throne. Neither Great
Britain nor Spain would participate in
this plan but Napoleon carried Il out
and maintained French troops IN Mex.
leo for several years. In 1857 Napo.
leon had to withdraw from Mexico.
For his villainous attack upon the
liberty Of an American republic Napo-
leon paid the penalty and Bismarck
was clearly the instrument prepared
for the purpose Of executing the di.
vine plans. on July 10. 1870, France
declared war against It's neighbor
across the Rhine. The army was
said to be ready TO the
last gaiter button and the
prime minister said he accepted
the responsibility with light heart"
A few months after the declaration Of
war Napoleon was a captive; the EN-.
plre was overthrown. and the French
armies We're scattered as chan before
the whirlwind
Centuries ago It was foretold that
destruction would be the portion OF
anyone cndeayoring to establish
king" ON these continents.
And this land shall be a land Of
liberty unto ,he Gentiles, aud there
shall be no kings upon the land, who
shall raise w unto the Gentlles, and
! viii fortfy this land against all other
nations; and he that nghteth against
Zion shan perish, saith God, for he
that raiseth up king against mo shall
perish" lBook OF Mormon, Nephl.
10, lotto
Napoleon sealed HIS own doom by
ondcayoring TO establish king" up
ON this continent. dedicated to the
cause ~ human liberty No armies,
no matter how strong. could have
saved him from the divine reribution.
Russias defeat was not due, In tho
first place, to any lack Of soldiers,
Russia had a stronger army at the
outbreak Of the war with Japan, than
she had when she conquered the brave
but ALARMED Turks under osman
Pasha, but the Russian government
went TO the war against Japan, with
the blood Of thousands ot Jewish mar
tyrs crying from the ground 10 high
heaven for vengeance, as the blood
Of Abel was crying against Cain. That
was, without the slightest doubt. the
real reason why the Russians fed Ike
sheep. on the battlehelds, AMI the
Russian ships were sent to the bottom
Of the sea. Human eyes see generally
but the nearest causes Of given effects.