Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-10-27
A Gloomy Prospect for Us.


A Gloomy Prospect for Us.
When this war in Europe began, the
prevailing sentiment in the United
States of America seemed to be thank
fulness that we were in no way mixed in
the mess, and that there lay between our
shores and those of the warning nations
two broad oceans. And so we have gone
conteutedly and lightheartedly along,
giving q more OF less absorbed interest
TO such news of the horrible conflict as
gets past the censors, wondering when it
will end and what changes it will make
In the map of Europe. but devoting our
chief thought to the world series and
the high cost of living.
Yet from the first there has been an
occasional suggestion of the military
lessons that there are for Us iu the war,
and those suggestions are beginning to
assume the proportion of notes of warn
ing. Congressman Gardner spoke 1t in
congress the other day, when he called
attention to the utter unpreparedness OF
the United States to engage in war with
q victorious European power; distin-
guished educator and student OF condi-
tons sounded ii clearly only few days
since when be said that unless We are
prepared to make determined show OF
force, within twenty years We shall have
10 fight the victor In this war; and fire.
ouent editorials and cartoons hint deli
cately or speak openly regarding the
possibilities and our condition.
To be sure, there are able and thought
full men who declare that the result OF
tho war must be the destruction of the
burdensome and war-inciting militarism
which has prevailed in Europe for forty
years, and the establishment OF world
federation, with sufficient international
force to preserve order and prevent the
outbreak of barbsrism. Only in such a
federation lies the guarantee of safety to
the United States of America, and many
Of Us long to see II contaminated. Yet
We know that the idea Is more or less q
Utopian dream, to the ordinary "patri.
or stumblingblock, to the militaris'
foolishness.
SO We have the other horn of the di
lemma. We must be prepared to resist
any victor in the present European war
who may see fit TO invade US or treat us
with iudignity. And consider our situa-
ton!
We have navy which is good of it,
size, but which Is we'll down from the
top in the list of the worlds navies, and
10 being not more than maintained, II a.
much as that. We have standing
army, ridiculously small from the Euro
pean standpoint, which spends lot of
time in building canals and doing other
constructive work instead OF preparing
to exterminste an enemy. And We have
patted ourselves on the back and con.
graduated ourselves that our coast wa
we'll fortified against attack by thu
navies of the world.
Reliance upon Notifications, however
has recently been largely shot to pieces
BY German guns. Fort after fort was east
" reduced, and when Antwerp, said to be
the most strongly fortified city In the
world, was reached, the news OF it's fal
came almost before the world was aware
that the siege was begun. This wa
largely due to q gun OF the existence OF
which only few men knew, which il
larger than has ever been made by any
except the Germans, with q caliber of
something over sixteen inches. In the
race between defensive projections and
big guns, the guns are at present ahead,
and military experts say that this big
German gun makes Notifications use
less.
From sources Of course unofficial In
Germany comes the announcement that
still larger guns are being built at the
Krupp works which will make these
ka hao
blowers" and then these "bean blow
ers" will be mounted on the German
battleships. There may be practical
difficulties In doing this, and the ships
may not stand the shock of firing the
guns, but II there is way to do il the
Germans will find Ii ont.
Two or three of these battleships, il
they could get so near our coast, could
lie where they could not be touched by
the gums of our useless Notifications,
and destroy both forts and cities along
our CO asst line.
And then there is q boundary line be.
tween US and Canada three thousand
miles long, much Of II without any nat
ural or artificial barrier except stone
marking posts and . "scrap of paper"
Canada belongs to England. IL Eng
land should be tho dominating nation
which brings the predicted war on IA
within twenty years, where shall We be?
A few of these reflections must show
us that we have ten thousand miles of
border which has no efficient protection
against foreign foe except what our
navy can afford, and that we have no
army sufficient TO prevent an invading
force from making stand on our soil.
In fact, We are utterly uBprepared for
war. So, II Ii must DO that our only
safety lies In being stronger than the
enemy, we must begin at once to make
preparation. The details are tn be
worked out BY experts, but the prepare
ton can hardly mean anything else than
An immensely larger military establish
mont to be created and maintained.
Let 10 have no halfway measures.
Every boy who is now In school, and
those yet 10 DO born, must serve . term
Of years In the army, and thereafter be
subject to call until tho decrepitude OF
age renders them useless. Our steel
mills must stop making girders for sky
scrapers and 90 TO building naval YES
sells. The problems Of possible war
must absorb the principal thought and
energy of our brightest men. We mutt
talk war, think war, and make prepare
ton for war without ceasing. The ex
peuse Of our military establishment, OF
past wars and preparation for future
wars, which now absorbs seventy per
cent Of our governmental income, will
be enormously Increased, until the taxes
We pay to support our militarism will
make the present alleged high cost Of
living seem like bread fruit dropping
Into our laps.
Il there no other wsys
The host Of friends Of VIM. ]. Ryan OF
the we'll known almanac man,
will DO pleased to hear that the prospect
Q good for the recovery Of the sight OF
me eve. Mr.. Ryan was stricken With i