New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-10
AMERICAS DUTY
Prepare to Defend Our Shores, Urges
a Son of Rear Admiral Upshur.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: We have slumbered so long that
the word america" is joke, not only
to the world, but sad one to our
selves. Now is the time to speak and
act and remould our country's affairs IN
the concrete form of patriotism, COM
mon justice and common sense. Each
American should become galvanized
into doing his duty at last at the polls,
oxerting himself to form current Amer
lean public opinion on all matters look
lrg to the welfare of our country, to
its immediate defence and to rebur-
nishing its dimming glory.
Our particularly fortunate geograph-
ical position in the past made US i'm
mune from attack and invasion. and
that idea has lulled US into a fools
paradise" We have allowed everything
70 slip through our fingers to the bene-
fit of foreigners and aliens. wide awake
10 see their opportunity. We have lost
our commerce, once the boast OF Amer
lea. We have abused and vilifed our
great, patriotic, true-born American
bankers and business men and instead
Of appreciating their unselfish efforts
tlnpatriotic enough 20 aid their foreign
rivals and give them "sinews OF war"
to fight us in the future, commercially
and literally.
England had her Lord Roberts and
we have had our great Mahan; both
were prophets. We have read in the
newspapers expressions of opinion and
earnest advice from patriotic ofhcers
of the army and navy. Every Ameri-
can should cry out for adequate de-
fence. In our present state we are at
the mercy of any of the great powers
who may make war on us. Three years
TO build a battleship, one year TO con-
struct a torpedo, enough ammunition
TO last our army and navy for two days
battle. if they were constantly in ac-
ton for that period with all their guns,
INADEQUATE submarine equipment, COM
paratively no airships, with navy
10000 short TO man our ships and with
an army of $4,000 men, and the fact
staring US in the face that sit takes a
year TO make modern soldier!
During the administration Of great
President of the United States the idea
obtained with MIN that ships of war
were Of no great importance in ticht-
ing, but the real idea was to build liz
tie "gunboats." so small that if the
enemy appeared they could run up thu
creek and Illustrate the "hellish de-
signs" of the enemy, and this idea was
actually carried out, to the dismay of
military men of the country. Now, if
cur great Thomas Jefferson could 90
/ so far wrong, might not another great
President be in error on certain sub
/ jects? | have never criticised a Presi-
| Dent of the United States in public or
allowed one TO be harshly cricitised
| in my presence. | have a little deli
cacy on that subject. as my great
/ great-grandmother. Martha Custis.
married General Washington, our first
/ President, along with the fact that my
| forebears for a number of genera
/ tons have served in the army and navy
/ of the United States and | inherit the
idea that at is not good discipline to
I discuss your superIors' However. tn =
present case is different in these chang
ing times.
Now. whether the President of the
B United States or any other man holds
Up" the defence of our country he
should be- reasoned with. and the great
est number of practical expressions on
the subject of preparations for de-
fence emanating from patriotic Ameri-
cans WILL in my opinion. produce bene-
fit for our whole country. People will