The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-03-12

Marion, o. March II 1910.
Editor, Marion Daily Mirror.

Marion, o. March II 1910.
Editor, Marion Daily Mirror.
Sir:
Noting your Editorial on Subsidy
lingo" in your issue of March 10th,
l am led TO reply to it, with your
permission.
First II is evident that the writer of
the article referred to has not taken
advantage of the recent literature on
the subject of n possible war; with
the Power of the East, as he mentions
Hobson. as the one man who sees in
this location war cloud, while in
fact many men of all political parties
and from many view points have writ
ten on the subject And strange
as 1t may seem, most of them have
come to the same conclusion; that a
war Is bound to come, and soon, and
that the United States is not awake
to the dangers of such q war. Most
persons of education. rely upon the
History of the United States, as they
have learned 1t, to prove that in time
of need the American people can be
relied upon to answer the call to arms
and furnish an invincible army on
SHOII HOlltts luty IN
Letters of Washington; the Life of
Green; The Military Policy of the u.
s., by Gen1. Emory Upton, u. S. A.,
to know just what mas happened In
the past In all of our wars, except the
Mexican. No doubt IL would be possi-
BILE to recruit an army of enormous
proportions, should the Y. s. be invad-
ed by a foreign power, but ] fear II
would be as it always has been n
previous wars, difficult to put IL in
the field fit for service, In time to save
the country. 1t is foregone con-
clusion that any determined foe could
land troops on our soil, and the few
drained forces at the command of tho
president could not hold them ir
check.
During some of the early wars, when
every man had to be provided with
n rifle to kill game for his table,
and whose very life depended som1
times upon his ability to shoot, 1t was
possible to recruit fairly efficient
force of minute men who could live
in the open and care for themselves
because they were much In the open
Following their usual persuits, but to-
day very few of the younger genera
tion could build fire that would cook
their bacon and coffee, or follow any
given direction without some outside
help. AS to handling q modern high |
pressure rifle, not even one could |
shoot fairly well i'm a shooting gal |
lery, could hit any target without |
much training To train these men |
would require more time than we are
apt TO think, If we nave not studied |
the matter. To bring them to a fairly |
efficient point of dicipline where their
commanding officer would feel that
they WOULD stand, would require
very much more.
These are the points that worry the
student of Military Science, in con-
nection with possible war, and every |
man who has studied the question |
looks with dread and almost fear, up
on the preparations that are being
made and have been made for conflict |
with our country Only the person |
who has not given thought to these |
matters. Is cock sure of our ability to
cope with any enemy, and who hoo' |
at the idea or any power being able |
to land forces upon out side, with |
in the boundaries of these United |
States.
Miss Scidmore, whom you quote so
freely and who Is so kindly disposed |
in her remarks, says "Never- -the-less
the Japanese are highly competent In
Military Science; In the Boxer war -
the Japs led all other nations in ehi- |
cency of their soldiers"
This Is not lingo argument but q
part of the belief of one who Is study
ing to be prepared for the struggle
that seems to be sure to come.
Let us try to learn our limitations
and surmount them, while there is
yet time.