The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-12-03
MILITARY PROBLEMS.

Senator Lodge has projected him
self into the fight for an investiga
ton of the nations readiness to de,
fend itself in case of war. The Sen.
ator is one of the veterans of public
life, and especially is an authority ii
foreign affairs. He is not willing
that the Gardner proposition for ar
investigation shall be meekly smoth,
cred by a Rules Committee or Presi.
Dental displeasure, and therefore
will lay it before the Senate. That
body's rules at least provide the as
surance that discussion will bring H.
Elimination to the subject, whether
the resolution passes or not.
How useful such an inquiry might
be, and at the same time how very
certain not to disclose any secrets
that possible enemies do not already
possess, is indicated by some of the
things that Senator Lodge has said
in talking about his plans. He re-
fers to this country's shortage of
soldiers, both regular and reserve;
and to the fact that in equipment
for placing forces in the field we
have not necessary material. For
instance, he observes that at is said
we have no sufficient reserves of
either men or ammunition; and that
in material for mines we are hope
lessly unprepared. He observes,
again, that we need an ample num-
Der of scout cruisers to cooperate
with the battleship fleet of the navy;
yet instead of that ample number,
we have only three.
These are impressive statements.
But they are not military secrets"
whose exposition is giving assistance
to any possible enemy of the United
States. On the other hand, these
and many other statements just as
important and impressive have been
repeated time and again by the men,
bers of our general staff. They may
be found in printed documents that
will be handed out to anybody who
will go to the War Department and
the Navy Department and ask for
them. Needless, quite needless, to
say, the military attaches of foreign
governments in this Capital have
seen and digested these reports, and
after that have sent them home for
the use of their military authorities.
The truth is that everybody on
earth who has any use for such in
formation, knows more about Amer
lean unpreparedness than do the
American people themselves. Facts
such as Senator Lodge and Con-
gresham Gardner have been giving
to the public, ought to be known
10 Congress and the nation, as we'll
as to the general stats of all the
military nations. 1t is worse than
eXcuseless TO pretend that military
investigation now would give infor-
nation about cur weakness to any
possible antagonist, and perhaps
encourage attack on US. Our weak
nesses are known to all the world
1t is our duty to let our own people
know them; and incidentally, to let
the world know that we do not in
tend that our weaknesses shall go
unremedied and unconsidered.
at is said" observes the Senator
charity, that we have only one tor
pedo to each torpedo tube" If that
is true, it is bad state of affairs.
Is it true? The authorities of
the macy say it is, and they have
protested in the most public way
that it ought not to be. Senator
Lodge is exposing no secrets; he is
merely telling what everybody
knows-everybody except the great
body of the American people. They
are the people who ought to know;
and they are going to know, too.
The Administration need surely
not fear an inquiry for political rea-
sons. These conditions of unpre-
paredness grew up while another
party was in power over the nations
policies. If they have not been rem
edied by the Democrats, that is bad.
but they were first permitted by the
Republicans. The question of ma
tional defense is bigger and more
important than any issue of or be-
tween political parties; and the in