Bisbee daily review., 1913-01-05
ADVISES
WAR PREPARATION
CRIT|CIsEs ARMY
Country Must Be Better
Prepared Than 1t Was in
Past Conflicts, He Says. :
Talks of Cuba.
ARBITRATION GOING
ENTIRELY TOO FAR

BOSTON, Jan. "A warning that
the United States must be prepared
for immediate war and far better pre-
pared than the country has been for
past wars was the feature OF an AL
dress by Theodore Roosevelt at a con
ference of the Military Historical So
ciety Of Massachusetts. Col. Roose-
welt severely arraigned war depart
ment officials of the Spanish war per
iod, as well as high officials OF the
army and navy in general At times
the Colonel was satirical in recount
ing his experience in that war with
the high authorities and red tape,
The principle OF arbitration. Roose.
welt said. was being carried too far
and was causing too little attention 70
be paid to needed preparations for
war.
II you teach soldier that he can
arbitrate a slap in the face he won't
fght And likewise if you teach ma
ton TO arbitrate a matter of vital in.
terest to it, it won't fight he reas.
, oned.
| Col. Roosevelt, however. said that
once an agreement to arbitrate had
been made between nations IL should
! be kept. After his address he explain
I ed he believed the United States
should arbitrate its present dispute
with rGeat Britain relative to Pan
anna Canal tolls.
| There is but one way to maintain
| peace, and that is by keeping oul
army and navy in such a state of pre-
paration that there will be no temp
tation on the part of some one else &c
go to war with US, he said.
: Fifty persons were present, includ
| ing several women and army officers
and teachers, when Col Roosevelt
was presented by William A. Dunninl
/ OF New York. first vice president q
( the American Historical Society.
! Tells Of Army Defects
4 IF ever should have occasion Il
! write about the Spanish war; SAID
the colonel, i should have to write
/ very harshly of the high officers o.
I the army and navy. The defects o.
the army men were more obviod:
/ than those OF the naval officers. The
\ fault, however, was not theirs. 1
was the fault OF the system which
I for thirty years had resulted in M
! adequate preparation for war.
4 The Brigade commanders in on.
army in Cuba had never seen ori
gade in service since the civil war
and then they were lieutenants Of
captains Since the civil war theil
| time had been spent in an army pos
with a company or perhaps a hal
company where the all-absorbing top
ic of conversation consisted of petit!
! fights between the Captain and tbs
quartermasteT
The colonel said the non-commis
stoned officers and junior officers o
the line, such as lieutenants and cap
; tains, who served in Cuba, were ex
cellent. The higher officers, he as
serted, were markedly inferior to tn
officers of corresponding rank in tn
! navy"
i Bureau chiefs in the war depart
X ment before the war occurred wer'
described by the Colonel as high
minded, estimable gentlemen, but ut
! terably unable to understand the con
L ditions of modern warfare"
4 One complained to him. he related
Il that his department was running al
u right until the war came along An
i other. Col Roosevelt averred, toll
him to use black gunpowder. explain
ing: THE smoke win hide your men.