The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-29
THE JAPS ARE READY.
Military Man Declares We Are IN
prepared for War With Mexico.

Stating that the military men of
the United States are holding their
breaths and marking time for the
Mexican situation to adjust itself, a
retired arm. officer made the un.
qualified statement yesterday that ia
pan was waiting for the inauguration
of hostile move on the part Of the
United States forces TO show it's hand,
says the Baltimore san. ,.7.I
In addition, he added, tho Ameri-
can army is at a disadvantage by it's
small numbers Of less than 100000
and that if Mexico is to be subdued
properly it will take five years or
longer, and will also mean putting at
least 100000 troops into the field.
. That means" he continued, that
Tor Six months we will be badly ham
dicapped. For our force, with its
peace footing, is wholly insufficient to
cope with the situation, and the re-
cruiting Of the additional men means
that for six months we can depend
only on the men now enlisted.
You see, you can't make a soldier
merely by putting a gun on his shoul-
der and a sling of cartridges around
his waist. He leeds most Of all re-
peated discipline. And it will take
fully. six months TO round tho men
into anything resembling efficiency.
Our campaign in Cuba proved that.
In the charge at San Juan there
comparatively few volunteers partici-
pated. All were ready and willing
enough, but they just dropped in their
tracks through sheer lack of train
ing. 1t was only the number Of those
men who could be fearless and reck-
less under any circumstances that
filtered in among the regulars in the
charge.
1T was no reflection on the volun-
teers that they dropped from the
charge. 1t was simply question of
not enough discipline.
Now, taking for example, six
months for tho bringing Of the aidi-
tional 100000 men to a stage where
it would be safe to take the field. OF
course, the men could be taken to the
front but the loss and waste would be
fearful
I'm those six months the force Of
an enemy, well disciplined and always
under military control, could work
havoc. 1t would be slaughter.
Japan is just itching for the op-
portunity to get footing on this side.
She wants the PHILIPPINES and the
Sandwich Islands, and Mexico seems
about the best outlook for her on this
side 1 don't think she will hesitate a
minute in showing her hand if the
tr able with Mexico does not adjust
itself, and war should come"
incidentally, the officer called par
ticular attention to the apparent lack
of sufficient data and knowledge OF
the Mexican layout. He compared the
situation with the Spanish war.
1--WE didn't know a thing about
Cuba" he said, "whon we went 20 war
with Spain. We were absolutely at
sea when it came to previous infUr-
nation of the ground we would have
to fight over.
"The nearest approach to this ad-
vance information was a rude lead
! pencil sketch ot the land we were
expected to cover when we madc a
landing in Cuba. Where the maps
! had been obtained | don't know, but
when we landed at Siboncy and Dal-
! Quiri were were helpless, for the map7
. were worthless.
Trails and roads and little towns
were shown on the sketch, but they
must have been drawn haphazard, for
We could reach no common junction
I between the map and the country be-
fore us and had to throw the sketches
away
He inferred practically similar
Situation would be met with in a Mex