Newark post., 1914-12-30
zONG THE NEW
MAGAZINE
.<oosevelt's s Article In Every
bodys

llNoAoIN iAoooSNCit. III w lllSI tilC
ex-president sets forth his views
concerning the military strength of
the United States, and the duty of
the nation in the establishment of
international peace. Mr.. Roose-
welt strengthens his statements
throughout the article by illustra-
tions from the pages of history.
Pertinent paragraphs follow:
1.-The first thing to understand
is the fact that preparedness for
war does not always insure peace,
but that it very greatly increases
the chances of securing peace. Fool
ish people point out nations which
in spite Of preparation for war
have seen war come upon them,
and then exclaim that prepared
ness against war is of no use. Such
an argument is precisely like say
ing that the existence of destruc-
tive fires in great cities shows that
there is no use in having a fire de-
partment. A fire department,
which means preparedness against
fire, does not prevent occasional de-
structive fires, but it does greatly
diminish and may completely min
imize the chances for wholesale de-
Struction by fire. Nations that are
prepared for war occasionally suf-
fer from it; but if they are unpre-
pared for it they suffer far more
often and far more radically. II n n
An argument advanced against
preparedness for war is that pre-
paredness incites war. This again
is not in accordance with the facts.
Unquestionably certain nations
have at times prepared for war
with view to foreign conquest. But
the rule has been that unprepared-
ness for war does not have any real
effect in securing peace, although
it is always apt to make war dis
astrous, and that preparedness for
war generally goes hand in hand
with an increased caution in going
to war
Striking examples of these
facts are furnished by the history
of the Spanish-American states.
For nearly three-quarters of a
century after these states won
their independence their history
was little else than a succession of
bloody revolutions and Of wars
among themselves as with outsiders
while during the same period there
was little or nothing done in the
way of effective military prepared
ness by one of them. During the
last twenty or thirty years, how
ever, certain of them, notably Ar
gentina and Chile, have prospered
and become stable. Their stability
has been partly caused by, and
partly accompanied by, a great in
crease in military preparedness.
During this period Argentina and
Chile have known peace as they
never knew it before. and as the
other Spanish-American countries
have not known it either before or
since; and at the same time their
military efficiency has enormously
increased.
THE lessons taught by Spanish
America are paralleled elsewhere.
In 1898 there was hardly an impor-
tant nation less prepared for war
than we We're, with the exception
of Spain. But this unprepared-
ness had not the least effect in pre-
venting war between Spain and
ourselves. n Utter and com
plete lack of preparation on our
part did not prevent our entering
into war with Great Britain in 1912
and with Mexico in 1S4S. 1t mere
ly exposed us to humiliation and
disaster in the former war; in the
latter, Mexico and even worse off
than we were.
"The effective workers for the
peace Of Righteousness We're men
like Stein, Cavour, and Lincoln
that is. men who dreamed great
dreams but who were also and pre-
eminently men Of action who stood
for the right, and who knew that
the right would fail unless might
was put behind it. The prophets
of pacifcism have had nothing
whatever in common with these
great men; and whenever they
have preached mere pacifcism,
wherever they have failed to put
righteousness first and to advocate
peace as the handmaiden of right
eousness they have done evil and
not good.
Emerson has said that in the
long run the most uncomfortable
truth is safer travelling compan-
ion than the most agreeable false