Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-03
Nation Never in. Danger
of Spirit of MiIitarism

Not only there is not now. but there
never has been, any other nation in the
world SO wholly free from the evils o.
miitarism as is ours There never has
been any other large nation. not even
China. which for SO long period has had
relatively to it's numbers SO small a reg
ular army as has ours. Never at any time
In our history has this nation suffered
from mflitarism or been in the remotest
danger of suffering from militayism
Never at any time of our; history has the
regular army been of a size which caused
the slightest appreciate tax upon the
taN-raying citizens of the nation. AL
most always it has been too small in siz
and underpaid. Never in our entire his
tory has the nation suffered in the least
particular because too much care has
been given to the army. too much prom
fnence given it. too much money spent
upon it. or because 1t has been too large
But again and again we hav, suffered
because enough care has not been given
to it, because it has been too small, be-
cause there has not been sufficient prepa-
ration 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 a fraction o. the cost that
was actually the case. AS nation we
have always been shortsighted in pro-
viding for the efficiency of the army in
time Of peace. 1t is nobody's especial in
terest to make such provision, and no
one looks ahead to war at any period ID
matter how remote, as being serious
possibility, while an improper economy
or rather nisgardliness, can be practiced
at the expense OF the army with the GER
tainty that those practicing it will not
be called to account therefor. but that the
price viii be paid by the unfortunate per-
sons who happen to be in office when a
war does actually come.
think it is only lack OF foresight that
troubles us, not any hostility to the
t, army: There are Ct course. foolish PEG
Or navy as miiits5ism. '1 but It + Re d. not
think that these people are numerous.
This country has to contend now, and
has had to contend in the. past, with
many evils, ard there is ample scope for
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
smallest part to mi itarism Defamation
against militarism has no more serious
place in an earnest and intelligent move
ment for righteousness in this country
than defamation against the worship Of
Baal or Astaroth. 1t is defamation
against a non-existent evil, one watch
never has existed in this country and
which has not the slightest chance of ap-
pearinS here. We are glad to help in
any movement for International peace
but this Is because we sincerely believe
that ii is our duty to help all such move
ments, provided they are sane and ra-
tional, and not because there is any tend
ency toward militarism on our part
which needs to BE- cured. .e
The evils We have to fight are those
in connection with .industrialism, not
militarism. Industry is always neces-
sary. Just as war is sometimes neces-
sary. Each has its price, and industry
In the United States now exacts. and
of death than all our wars Iut to-
gether. The statistics of the railroads
OF this country for the year ended
June 30, 1905. the last contained in
the annual statistical report of the
interstate commerce commission. show
In that one year total of 10S,324 cas-
ualties to persons, of which 1O.6lS rep
resent the number of persons killed.
In thnt wonderfui hive OF human activ-
fty, Pittsburg, the deaths due TO in
dustrial accidents in 1906 were 919, all
the result of accidents in mills, mines
or on railroads. For the entire coun-
try. therefore. it is safe to say that
the deaths due to industrial accidents
aggregate in the neighborhood IF 10000
year. Such a record makes the death
rate in all our foreign wars utterly
trivial by comparison. The number
of deaths in battle in all the foreign
wars put together, for the last century
and a quarter, aggregate considerably
less than one years death record for
our industries A mere glance at these
figures Is sufficient to show the absurd
ity of the outcry against mili.arism.
Larger Force Needed.
But again and again in the cast our
little regular, army has rendered serv-
Ice literally vital to the country and
1t may at any time have to Go 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 officers; and 1t
rs Impossible to secure enough enlisted
men. We should maintain in peace a
fairly complete skeleton of Il large
army. great and long-continued war
would have to be fought by volun-
teers; But months would pass before
any large body of efficient volunt GERS
could he put In the field, and our reg
ular army should be large enough to
meet any immediate need. In particu-
lar, II Is essential that We should pos
sess a number of extra officers trained
In peace TO perform efficient!y the
duties urgently required upon the
breaking out OF war.
The Medical Corps should Oe much
larger than the needs of our regular
army in war. Yet at presen, il is
smaller than the needs of the service
demand even In peace: The. spanish
WdE- occurred less than ten years ago
The chief loss we suffered in il Was by
disease among the, regiments which
never left the country. At the Ecnent
the nation seemed deeply impressed by
this fact; yet seemingly. il has d irea DIV
been forgotten. for not the slightest
enort has been made to prepare n med
ical corps of sufficient size to pleyent
the repetition of the same disaster on
a much larger scale Ii we shouid ever
be engaged in serious conflict. =.
The trouble in the Spanish war was no,
with the then ex sting officials OF the Wal
Department.: IL was with the repre- q ,pt a
-tives of the people as a whole. who fo,
the. preceding thirty years. had declined
to make the necessary provision for thu
= army. Unless ample provision Is now m lds
by Congress-: to- put the Medical Corp.
where II should be put disaster In the mex,
war Is, Inevitable. and the responsibility,
will not lie with those then IN charge OF
the War Department.. but with those who
now decline to make the necessary pro
vision. A well organized medical corps
thoroughly trained before the advent o.
war In all the IMPORTANT adninis.ra i've
0ptlaD of n military sanitary cOrpx in pc