The Irish standard., 1908-03-28

food. Ghosts, ghastly ghosts, wraiths
OF the past are dished up by the dozen.
The old-time worn, bald and bent fig
ure of German invasion Of South
America begins the article. Then fol-
lows an amusing, highly colored con-
jured-up war between Germany and
the United States. 1t is all too foolish
for more than q word. The writer tells
us for a fact, that Japan, "by clever
move. captured (bought, I suppose he
nleans) almost the entire torpedo out
put Of the world (she has already
actually done so if it is of INTEREST,""
he adds.
If it is of interest? Why, of course
it is of interest. The fact, if It Is a
fact. is the most amazing item of news
in the last 10 years. Fifty thousand
men had long been employed night and
day in her (Japan'sl arsenals, similar
energy being, expressed in the steel
gun boundaries and shot works at
Nagasaki and Toxic. the output Of
these factories being 500 guns daily"
Then follows more of the big -injun"
buga-boo, look out for the bear goods,
We are told in all seriousness, later,
that we have no army. That we fail
to distinguish between resource and
power. AS if we did so fail. fear the
gallant officer who has gone over from
the sword to the pen has not been
measuring us correctly. Nobody but u
fool confounds the words resource and
power. We all know what they mean,
and how far we arc in possession Of
the one and how remote are the others
from immediate availability. This
question of war with the United States
is a psychological rather than a physi-
illogical question. No nation on earth
will ever be fool enough to declare war
against us; and surely wisdom will
dictate peaceful policies to our people.
What if Germany can mobilize a million
men in a month, where is she to mob
ilize them in event of a war with us?
Whittier is Japan to send her 100000
that she may mobilize in month? A
comparison between what Germany did
to France in '70-'71, and what we did
not do to Spain in the same or longer
time in the Spanish-American war, is
about on par with all the rest Of the
article to which we refer.
This is neither an apology for our
past, nor a presage Of our future. If
we are going in for war, then in Gods
name-I say it reverently-if God
should be invoked in such wretched
business, let us play the game for all
1t is worth. But let us do it openly
and above board. Don't let us be
preaching peace. promising all manner
OF things while We are preparing to
poison the wells, to burn the barns, etc..
etc. BY the time United States ex-
perts have exhausted the possible con-
tingencies and combinations that must
inevitably lead to our defeat and in
exorably to our ruin, Japan and Ger
many will have learned the one great
lesson taught by all history, that a
people like ours is the last on earth
that a people led as Japan and Ger
many are led, will ever be able to lick.
Lincoln is said to have said: LET Eu-
rope form its coalitions; its legions
may land in Boston, Baltimore, Phila-
delphia and New York, they will never
get beyond the Rockies" The writer in
the magazine sees the Japs master of
California. Oregon and Washington.
They have their island empire in the
Pacific as base Of supply, the vast
arid region on this side of the Cascade
and other mountains as a barrier be-
yond or over which our armies would
never be able to march, etc, etc. With
our navy annihilated, this man. an Of
hcer in our army, bless the mark, saws:
"The conquest of this country. on land.