Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-07
NATION NEGLECTS ITS ARMY
Little Interest Shown in Preparing for
War in Time of Peace

War in Time of Peace
Not only there is not now, but there
never has been, any other nation in the
world so wholly free from the evils of
militarism as is ours. There never has
been any other large nation, not even
Ghna eh for o pmbers so sma
a regular army as has ours. Never at
any time in our history has this nation
remotest danger of suffering from mill
tarism. Never at any time of our his
tory has the regular army been of a
size which caused the slightest appreclee
the nation Almost always 1t has been
too small in size and underpaid;. Never
In our entire history has the nation suf-
fered in the least particular because too
much care has been given to the army
too much nprotninence given 1T, too much
money spent upon 1T, Or because it has
have suffered because enough care has
not beensgtven to it, because 1T has been
too small there mas n%
possible war. Every foreign war in
which we have been engaged has cost It
Us during the precedng
would have insured the war ending in
but & ne Of the s a Was for
the case AS a nation we have always
been shortsighted in providing for the
seieney Of the army IN nter me 81 peafke
such provision. and no one looks ahead
to war at any period. no matter how
remote as being serious p or ID 80 y;
niggardliness. can be practiced at the
expense of the army with the certainty
that those practicing It vii not pe ca alec
will be paid by the unfortunate persons
who happen to he in office when a war
does actually come
LACK OF FORESIGHT
sc tphf hot
troubles US. not any hostility to the
army. There are, of course, foolish PEG.
pie who denounce any care OF the army
think that these people are, numerous
This country has to contend now and
has had to contend in the past, witf
for all who would work for reform Blu,
there is not one. evil that now exists, OF
that ever has existed in this country
which is, or ever has been, owing to the
smallest part to nilitarism. Defamation
against militarism has no more serious
place in an earnest and Intelligent move
nent for righteousness in this country
than defamation against the WORSHIP
of Baal or Astaroth IT is declamatiol
against a non-existent evil. one which
never has existed in, this country, ant
which has not the slightest chance o
appea ring here We are glad to help II
any movement for international peace
but this is. because we sincerely belleN'
that it is our duty, to help an sucl
movements provided they are sane an,
rational. and not because there is an,
tendency toward militarism on our par
which needs to be cured. The evils W.
have to fight are those IN connectloi
with industrialism. not milltarlsm. In
is sometimes necessary Each has It
price, and industry in the United state
now exacts ana has always eXacted
far heavier toll of death than all on
wars put together. The statistics of tn
railroads of: this country for the yea
ended June so. 1906. the last contained u
the annual statistical report of the IN
terstate commerce commission, STOW 81, i
that one year a total OF lOS324 cas-
uaittos to persons. Of which loGiS repre-
that wonderful hive of human activity
Pittsburg, the deaths due to industrla
accidents in 1896 were BY all the resul
of accidents in mills mines sor on rail-
roads For the entire country, there
fore. ii is safe to say that the death
vi due to industrial accidents aggregate l
the ,neighborhood of twenty thousand
wear Such a record makes the deaf
rate in-'all our foreign wars utterly tn
vial by comparison. The number
deaths in battle in all the foreign war
put together for the last century and
Quarter, aggregate considerably less tina
one years death record for; .,. our q indu;
tries A mere glance at these figures
a sufficient to show the ahSurditY of tn
outcrv against militarisn.
OFFICERS AND MEN NEEDED
But again and again iii the past ou
little reguIar, army has Gsndepea ed 5 $ vi,
at any time have to do 50 in the. futur
It's standard of efficiency and instrut
tiop is higher now than ever In tt
mast. But it is too small. There ar
not enough officers; ard 1t is impossib
to secure enough enlisted men. "
should maintain in peace fairly con
pete skeleton of a large army. A gres
ard lang continued war. would have
be fought by volunteers. But month
world pass before any large body
etficient volunteers could be put in tt
GsIa. and our regular army should /
Ned In particular 1t is essential tn:
we should possess a number of exit
officers trained in peace to perform eff
cfentlY the duties urgently required upo
tba breaking out OF war.