The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-12-13
THE "UNPREPAREDNEss' OF THE
ARMY.

Secretary SumSon's report Of the
condition of the United States army,
setting forth its utter unpreparedness.
for war with a great power will
scarcely give surprise 10 the country.
Such a state of affairs has been set
forth more than once, and without
making any particular impression, at
least 50 far as practical results are
concerned, on the people of the Uni
ted States. The military authorities
are continually pointing out how far
behind this country is in the matter
of equipment for war, but the people
show little disposition to change the
order of things, and it is not likely
that they will be moved by the state
ments of Secretary Stimson to any
material increase of the national bur
den of expense for military purposes.
1t should not be SO, perhaps, but it
is, and, in the very nature of things
it will probably continue so for a
long time. Since it's establishment
this country has not had to engage
in war in which its national exis-
tence was menaced, or even-except
for the war with England in 1812-in
which temporary humiliation was
forced upon it, and it is hard to per
suade a people with such a history
that they should give themselves over
to martial ways and costs. The great
Civil war found the country unpre-
pared, to be sure, but the limitations
of military equipment and resources
were common, SO there was no les
son of permanent effect upon the
country from any of its disasters. The
war with Spain in 1898 was a mere
brush, which served to show in many
ways the inefficiency of our military
establishment, but which was so com
plete in its vindication of our ability
to perform the task undertaken that
the demonstration made but a brier
impression upon the mind of the
country. The American people have
no taste for great military establish
ments and have never known the
need of them, and it is unlikely that
they will ever be brought to a practi-
cal view of insurance against war by
support of large armies during the
years of peace, if they are not brought
through some calamitous conflict, to
an appreciation of the necessity of
such burden, with all of its atten-
dant evils. The world is making a
mighty effort now to adjust itself to
condition of permanent peace, and
foremost among the nations moving to
that end is the United States. If we
have gone thus far without the need
of great armies, and if a period of
universal peace is to be inaugurated,
the argument for increase of arma-
ment is not likely to go very far.
There is another point to the mat
ter, besides this merely blind objec-
ton to increased armament. Tne
great military nations have not al
ways proved, at the test, their eff
cheney in the field. The example of
Russia is Immediately before us. For
many years the cars empire had
maintained a great military establish
ment, at the cost of a terrific burden
upon the people, and the sacrifice of
much liberty and happiness, yet, when
the armed hosts We're thrown against
the Japanese in the war of 1904 they
proved utterly incapable of maintain
ing the contention of the nation which
had supported them to such end thru
so many years Competent military
critics believed that Spain was equal
ly matched with the United States on
sea as well as on land when the war
of 1898 was joined yet the actual en-
gagement showed the helplessness of
the Spaniards in such contest.
France had, in 1871, what was sup
posed to be great military establish
ment-and look at Sedan. Germany
today has what is supposed to be the
most perfect military machine of the
modern times, but nothing but an ac-
tual test of war will prove its eff
cheney, and that might be disappoint-
ing of every hope and confidence.
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