Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-20
UNABLE TO DEFEND OURSELVES.

There is nothing to SuDStantlaIe
belief that disarmament of nations will
follow the conclusion of the great war
now on in Europe. On the contrary
there lis much reason to believe that
there will be more conflicts between
the armed hosts of nations before the
coming of the millennium. Wars nave
marked the history of the world and
doubtless will continue to do so for
years to come. The talk of universal
peece is only a dream, possibly Wis
Ion of the distant future. At any rate,
man has not yet reached that state OF
perfect accord where there is no diff
ference of opinion and where he will
not back up his view with his might.
No man is absolutely free from the
danger of a personal encounter with
another. If the other were so inclined
there would be a fight unless the first
man proved too fast a runner. And the
runner in that case would have to keep
on the run so much that he would have
q hard time earning a living. The same
thing is true of nations. Wars are
sometimes forced on nation against
its will. It is hard for nation to run
away and if once it starts running,
there is soon no nation left.
A firm conviction that war is wrong
and that peace should be maintained,
will not save nation from the attack
of another.
The United States must be prepared
to defend itself in case Of attack or
else run away" in other words groVel
under the heel of the first nation that
takes a liking to this favored land.
The preparedness of certain Europ-
can nations for the struggle they are
now mixed up in, has opened the eyes
Of many Americans to what they call a
pitiahle state of unpreparedness on the
mart of the United States for pos
sible war either offensive or defensive.
Is it not possible, that, confident in our
belief that this is the greatest nation
on the earth, we have lapsed in our
: military preparations to degree that
is more apparent to the rest of the
world than it is to us?
That is the belief of certain mem
bers of congress who are even now do
ing their best to open up the eyes or
the nation. Representative Gardner OF
Massachusetts is hot after congress to
make an official investigation of our
military and naval condition. He says
il ia time to Grub our eyes and look
about" He recalls the. fact that this
country was not prepared for the war
with Spain and declares that even at
the end of the war, this country was
still unprepared for really great
struggle. 1t is worth while to consider
the outcome should nation, prepared
for war as was Germany or France
when the present struggle broke out,
force a war upon the United States.
The most partisan must admit when
pinned down to- facts that only in per,
sonnet of the soldiers themselves, has
the United States any advantage or
even an equality with the others. Mr..
Gardner goes on and says:
1The naval board dins in our ears
year after year the story of the unpre-
paredness of the navy General Wood
in report after report, tells like story
of the army and pleads with us to
awaken from the awful lethargy and
grappie this question on which our ma.
tons safety depends. Yet we go
shambling and shutting along scatter.
ing away millions where the votes
grow the thickest.
.For dozen years have sat here
like a coward in silence and listened
4 while men have told us how the United
States can safely depend in war time
on the state militia and the naval re-