The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-10
ny FRANK q. cAnpENTER,

: r. w. Is.
WHAT arrangements ia Uncle sam
,sig patriarh. mak!g for his Amer
1eane children? 1t is all right to talk
about peace. but war with a foreign
nation is likely to come at any mo-
ment Uncle Sam hos no chip on his
shoulder but he viii have to tight IL
occasion demands. just before our
aeet made its pyrotechnic tour OF The
Aslatic wators. Dir Elihu Root. then
In President Rooscvelts Cabinet, made
some remarkable statements regard
Ing possible war with Japan This
was to party Of newspaper men IIc
Z did not. mention the Japanese in no
many words. but every ono knew to
whom he referred. Said he in sub
stance:
Many OF tho foreign nations are.
sensitive. Some of them look upon the
voice of the press an tho voice of the
nation. and beg you newspaper
writer's to DO careful about what you
say as 20 foreigners. our words may
be taken as en- insult. and you must
remember that a nation is like man.
IL its feelings are insuitcd and out
ragged 1T must fight.
Tho way no said this, at that lime.
when the. treasury box OF the rnikado
was empty. made me think of the con.
oition OF a poor man In the streets,
down Al the heels. with a family half
starving. All OF the mans intercets
might demand that he keep out OF
trouble. but. II some one came up and
hit him In The face without provoca-
tton or called him a liar. he would
have to fight; he could do no other
Take the case of tho blowing UP of
the Maine. However we may feel in
tho light of recent Investigations a,
Inc time OF the c&plosion we took It MS
M ingult and an outrage. and the re-
suit was our war with Spain.
only, u few years before that Pres!-
dent Cleveland cent message 10 Eng
lanh 6s 10 tho Venezuela complications
that brought war clouds into the inter
national sky. II was only through the
tiorbsarance OF John Bull that the heav-
tnb became cerulcan. Another Prcsi-
dent may send similar inessagc to n
nation which Will not be so forbearing
Wo may some time attempt 10 dictate
to Germany. and the warm blooded
Kaiser. with the greed OF South
American Deutschland in his eve. may
defy US, and with his powerful army
and navy smash the Monroe Doctrine
to pieces.
Uncle SAINTS Army.
ALI this Is preliminary 10 nv inyes-
legations this week as 10 the American
army and Uncle SANS plans for max
Ing It big enough and strong enough
for any emergency, Much OF my In
formation comes from the War Depart
ment. and il il bs2ed upon talks with
tho Siriie young Secretary of War. sir.
6tinpGn the long experienced nghting
chief OF STAFF, Ma3or-General Wood, and
q number of others who rank high III
the military afairs of the nation
In the hrst place. let me give you
some idea OF what our army Is and
now IT ranks among those OF the world.
/ shall take the peace strength, ny
the last report of the Secretary of War.
the number actually serving is little
over $4,000 all told. with an authorized
strength which brings II UP to about
100000 We have now less than 5000
officers and lese than $4,000 men l'he
peace strength Of the German army is
100000, that of The French 100000, and
Of Great Britain $4,000. Little Sw,t-
zeriand can call 100000 or 100000 lnt4i
Into the field at n touch of the telegraph