The Washington herald., 1913-01-21
'URGESNATI0NAL
DEFENSECOUNCIL
Commander Mexican Says
Present System Weakens
United States Military.
LACK OF COOPERATION
Absence of Harmony Between States.
men and Field Leaders May Result
in Humiliation in War.

That the system of government in the
United States makes the nation inher-
emily weak, both in preparing Tor war
and carrying out war;, was the declara-
ton of Commander J. ). Mexican, u. >.
N, in a lecture on Policy" the second
in the War College extension course In
Washington, yesterday afternoon.
There is a lack OF harmony between
policy and strategy and of cooperation
between statesmen and military leaders.
declared Commander Mexican. we lack
both the tendency and the machinery to
bring about proper coordination and CO.
operation"
The United States has paid heavily for
this lack of harmony between the Cabi-
net, which forms the policy; the military
and naval experts, which have to exc
cute the policy, and the Congress, which
has TO provide the means, Commander
Mexican stated. Our failure to prepare
for war in time OF peace, he said has
Increased tenfold the cost in time.
money and lives of our previous wars.
and he ventured the prediction that II
might lead TO our national humiliation.
The popular belief regards war pre-
emInentIy as the domain OF luck and
pluck" said Commander Mexican. '"rne
strength and courage OF the soldier and
the genius OF the general are thought 10
be the essential matters. In a higher
view which embraces the whole subject.
courage and right leading are conse-
quences rather than causes-are the re-
suit OF sound management or a nation s
affairs"
Every war we ever had. declared the
speaker, has shown numerous examples
of the evil resulting from interference
with the commander in the field by men
in the seat of government. Modern
SVSfenS pf cOuuouDica fiOpS will iucraa 10
this tendency and cutting the cable will
be of no Use in these days of wireless
telegraphy."
In modern war more depends upon
what has been accomplished before the
commencement of hostilities than upon
what is done after the first shot is fired
and this preparation rests with the
statesmen and with the military leaders.
In these days, that nation which is beat
en- in preparation for war is already half
beaten IN the war Itself Commander
Mexican cited Russia as an example of
this principle. and declared that Russia
failed in her conflict with Japan because
she had been hluffinG for ten years with
out preparation, while Japan had been
preparing for ten years to enter into
conflict with Russia.
To insure adequate preparation for war
in the United States, by means of a prop
er degree OF harmony between the states
men. the military, and the Congress.
Commander Mexican urged the passage
Of the bill now pending for the estab-
lishment of council for national de-
fcnse. This council. as provided for in
the bill. is TO consist of representatives
of the army, the navy, the Department
OF State, and the two Houses of Con-
gress. A better plan. he declared, would
be that of Maj. Jadwin, OF the United
States Corps of Engineers. to have a sin
gle department of national defense, with
the army section headed by the Chief Of
Staff and the naval section by an aid
for operations.