Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-01-18
PREPARING FOR WAR
Army and Navy Boards Planning
to Fight All Nations.
NOTHING ALARMING in THIS
Every Country, u Wisdom Prevails,
Spends the Time Of Peace In
Thus Getting Ready for Com
flict with Any Other.
Ry GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-While effort is being
made by the administration to secure
the senate's sanction for the arbitra-
ton treaties. the general staff of the
army and the general board of the
navy are at work making the advance
preparations "for war with every ma
ton on earth" In time of peace pre-
pare for war, a thought If not ex-
pressed in just such words, as old as
%gunpowder and perhaps older, is the
guide of the army and nav militant
ones in Washington.
The general staff Of the army and
the general board of the navy have to
earn their salaries. They are paid
to make such plans as will be service
able in case the country should be
forced into war. People have the
haziest sort of an idea, apparently. Of
the duties of the officers who serve on
the military and naval board in Wash
ington. They do many things besides
planning s~trategems, invasions and
the like, but one of their main labors
is the making Of preparations to
thrash some country which at the
same time is making preparations to
thrash us.
Germany knows all about the Amer1-
can seaboard and the Philippine sea-
board, and all about Samoa and Ha-
wall and Guam and Alaska. 1t knows
how many ships we have, how many
guns they carry, what their target
records are and, IN fact, all the other
ithings that it is to the advantage OF
a country to know prior to entering
upon hostilities with another country.
What is true of Germany's knowledge
is true of the knowledge of England,
Japan, France, Italy and the rest.
Each Knows All About Others.
Moreover, if one could get into the
inner chamber of the war and navy
departments of the countries mention
ed, and were not denied access to the
secret drawers of the steel-lined
vaults, he would find there neatly
drawn plans for offensive operations
against the United States of America.
Now the reverse of this matter is
true. Let a German or an English
man, or a Japanese, or a Frenchman,
or a man Of any other power go his
way, if he can, to the inner places In
our fighting departments, and there
he will find the best laid plans OF
army officers and naval officers for
+ba +broebinn 80 bic oo,1pfpu .
1t is needness to say that the Off
cials of the war departments&of all
the earth plan to thrash the other fel-
low, taking no thought Of the posi-.
,bility Of being thrashed themselves,
That is left for the developments OF
individual battles. when the admiral
or the general figures out when de
feat looms how he best can make his
getaway with least loss Of ships OF
men.
1t is not to be taken In an alarm.
ing sense, this matter of wal prepare
tons. They are made simply for use
in case Of emergency, for when the
emergency arises there may be preci
ONo
Story of the KIondike.
The report of Secretary O.
the Interior Fisher having beer
read, the country knows a good dea
more than it knew about the various
Of Alaska. Mr.. Fisher pait
more attention to coal and to forests
when he visited Alaska last summe
than he did to gold, for the gold de
posts Of the territory now are rathe
an old story.
An army officer of high rank VIII
has been for the better part of min
years either in the Philippines or il
the American tropics has told jus
how it was that the great find of gol'
in the Klondike country was not mad
five years earlier than it was. TIL
story embraces, doubtless, the reasol
why this particular army officer is stil
living on his service pay instead G
owning Golcondas and drawing revt
nue. therefrom. 1t also accounts prof.
ably for the still moderate incomes 9
two or three other government en-
iployees and OF nall a dozen men ]
civil life.
How Gold Find Was Delayed.
The army officer had made a stud
of mineralogy, assaying and othe
kindred things, if these two be XII
bred, and in the year 1891 conclude
that it would be a good thing for tn
government to know definitely what
had in the back country of Alaski
President Harrison and Secretary {
War Proctor agreed with the arm
man and a bill was prepared and il
troduced into both houses Of congress
for the appropriation of money to pa
for an Alaska investigation with II
army officer at the head of it. Plar
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