The Washington herald., 1913-08-31

Upton shows in his celebrated book on
the Military Policy OF the United States,
! which all Americans should read, We are
constantly confusing our resources
men, material, and money-with our
actual strength. The German recruit Is
trained for two years and for sixteen
hours every day. 1t takes more than a
uniform and a musket to make soldier.
We call in the civil war as a witness to
| show how calamity and tenaciously all
Americans can fight It was a bloody
conflict, and North and South alike dis
played splendid courage and ability. But
during the first two years OF that
mighty test Of stamina and valor thou
sands OF lives were wasted and millions
of money thrown away. 1t took that
long to turn raw volunteers into capable
fighting men. Had there been an army
of Federal regulars at the first battle OF
Bull Run the war might have ended
right there
'In none of our wars have we been
,,repared for effective service. Military
Tuen are agreed that the war with Eng
Isnd in 1872, except our victories on
water, was a national disgrace. We put
5gT OOO men in the field. OF whom 4oS,eD
were inexperienced militiamen and squ'r-
rel hunters The British met US with
Cnly 5000 seasoned troops and prolonged
the war 50 that 1t dragged through two
and a half years. That wretched contest
with Great Britain cost us S2O0,OO0,0Oo and
q huge sum besides in pensions.
Were Driven Away Like sheep.
Il always think in shame, and, / con-
fess, in some amusement about our de-
fense of the city of Washington in 1slL
The President and his Cabinet were eye
witnesses OF the battle. Fifteen hundred
British regulars drove 500 Americana
mostly volunteers and militiamen-from
the field. Our loss was eight killed ard
eleven wounded. Then the English
marched In and burned out public build
ings. The following day they took ship
without hindrance and sailed away. And
the Secretary OF War. afraid to return To
Washington, resigned his office from his
home in Virginia
"It will not do to say that those were
crude and primitive days in the United
States. We were unprepared for the wa-
with Spain and thousands of our soldiers
died in camp while being trained for the
firing line. The same calamitous ex-
perience would come upon the country
now were We to go to war with a fer
eign nation. The prepared nation inva-
riably saves the lives Of its soldiers and
the money of its people. It cuts war
snort ana makes ltS own terms uSUdlly.
The war between Germany and France
and the war between Japan and Russia
are striking modern instances of the
truth of what have said. No soldier
wants to build up a burdensome mill
tary establishment in the United States
Soldiers are supposed to be patriotic in
time Of war; they are precisely as pa
tri0tfc in time of peace. This is their
country, too. But they know that nine
village or country amateurs cannot win
ball game from the Philadelphia Afh-
letics or the New York Giants They de-
mand a reasons bic chance to win II Il e
PEOPLE order them to fight And the
order may be given without much no.
tice."
Children Deprived of the Facts.
What have you to say about the vari-
Gus peace societies in the country?"
asked.
"Only that the members are mostly
dreamers who see visions of an ideal
state of matters instead of the stern
OF life. S-1e OF them, like
Mr.. Carnegie and Edwin CHM, OF Bos-