Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-04
THE ARMY

never has been. any other nation In the
world so wholly free from the evils Of
militarism ae is ours. There never has
been any other large nation, not even
China. which for so long period has
had relatively to its numbers SO small
a regular army as has ours. Never at
any time In our history has this nation
suffered from militarism or has been in
the remotest danger OF suffering from
militarism.
Never at any time of our history has
the regular army been of a size which
caused the slightest appreciable tax upon
the taxpayirg citizens of the nation, AL
most always it has been too small in
size and underpaid Never in our entire
history has the nation suffered In the
/ least particular because loo much tezIu
has been given to the army, too much
prominence given it. too much money
spent upon it, or because It has beer too
large. But again and again we have
suffered because enough care has not
been given to it, because it has been too
small, because there has not been suffi-
cient preparation in advance for possible
war.
Every foreign war in which we have
engaged has cost us many times the
amount which, If wisely expended dur
ing the preceding years of peace on the
regular army. would have insured the
war ending in but fraction of the time
and but for fraction of the cost that
was actually the case. AS a nation VIC
have always been shortsighted in provid-
| ing for the efficiency of the army in
time of peace 1t is nobody's especial
interest to make suoh provision and no
one looks ahead to war at any period,
no matter how remote. as being a serious
| possibility; while an improper economy.
or, rather, niggardliness. can be prac-
| tced at the expense of the army with tho
certainty that those practicing it will
not be called to account therefor, but
that the price will be paid by the un-
fortunate persons who happen to be in
office when a war does actually come.
Not Hostile to Army
| 'I think it is only lack of foresight that
troubles US. not any hostility to the
army There are. OF course. foolish peo-
pie who denounce any care of the army
or navy as 'militarism.' but I do not
think that these people are numerous
This country has to contend now, and has
had to contend in the past, with many
evils. and there is ample scope for all
who would work for reform. But there
| is not one evil that now exists, or that
ever has existed in this country, which
is. or ever has been, owing in the small
| est part to militarism.
Defamation against militarism has no
more serious place in an earnest and In
telligent movement for Righteousness In
this country than defamation against
the worship of Baal or Astaroth. 1t Is
defamation against non-eSistent evil.
one which never has existed in this coun-
| try and which has not the slightest
chance of appearing here We are glad
to help in any movement for international
peace but this is because we sincerely
believe that 1t is our duty to help all
| such movements provided they are sane
and rational, and not because there Is
| any tendency toward militarism on our
| part which needs to be cured. The evils
we have to fight are those in connection
with industrialism, not militarism. In
dustry is always necessary. Just as war Is
sometimes necessary. Each has Its price,
and industry in the United States now ex-
acts, and has always exacted. far
heavier toll of death than all our wars
| put together.
1.-THE statistics of the railrads of this
country for the year ended June 80. 1906.
the last contained in the annual statisti-
| cal report of the interstate commerce
commission, show in that one year
| total of 108,324 casualties to persons. OF
which 10,61S represent the number OF per-
sons killed. In that wonderful hive or
human activity. Pittsburg the deaths due
to Industrial accidents of 1906 were gl9.
all the result of accidents In mills, mines
therefore, 1t Is safe to say that the deaths
due to Industrial accidents aggregate in
the neighborhood of 10000 year. Such
a record makes the death rate In all our
foreign wars utterly trivial by compare
| SON. The number of deaths in battle IN
| al, the foreign wars put together for the
last century and quarter aggregate con-
siderabiy less than one years death rec
ord for our industries A mere glance at
these figures is sufficient to show the abb
surdity of the outcry against militarism.
Praise for Army
But again and again in the past our
little regular army has rendered service
literally vital to the country, and II may
at any time have to do so in the future.
Its standard of efficiency and instruction
| is higher now than ever in the past. But
| it is too small. There are not enough Of
ficers; and 1t is impossible to secure
enough enlisted men. We should maintain
| In peace a fairly complete skeleton OF a
large army. A great and long continued
war would have. to be fought by volun-
teers. But months would pass before any
| large body of efficient volunteers could
be put in the field, and our regular army
should be large enough to meet any inn
mediate need. In particular II is essential
that we should possess number OF extra
officers trained in peace to perform ef-
ficiently the duties urgently required upon
the breaking out of war.
The medical corps should be much
larger than the needs Of our regular army
in war. Yet at present 1t is smaller than
the needs of the service demand even IN
peace. The Spanish war occurred less
than ten years ago. The chief loss we
suffered in 1t was by disease among the
regiments which never left the country.
TT the moment the nation seemed deeply
Impressed by this fact vet. seemingly It
has already been forgotten. for not the
slightest effort has been made to prepare
medical corps, of sufficient size to pre-
vent the repetition of the same disaster
on much larger scale If we should ever
be engaged in serious conflict. Tho
trouble in the Spanish war was not with
the then existing officials of the war de-
partnent; it was with the representatives
OF the people as a whole who, for tho
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