New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-13
THE HYSTERIA OF SELF-DEFENCE
How Il Once Seized Upon MIR. Wilson and Why 1t
Is Not an Excellent Thing for Jellyhsh.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In reply to Mr. Melvin Hildreth and your in
curry in this mornings issue to the whereabouts
Of "the hysteria which these critcs-presumably OF
the present campaign for better defences-"profess
to descry on the horizon" would like to say that it
Is to be found anywhere and everywhere generally at
all times.
Our President Wilson had attack Of hys-
terra when he got up in the night and gave orders TO
prevent German ship landing arms in Mexico and
other orders to have ships in Mexican waters before
any European country could get there. But he re-
covered from the attack in time that nothing was
done to prevent the being landed in Mexico, at
some other point, believe.
The most undesirable effect of the disease is that
you will actually do something if you don't watch
out, or very it, which might be equally as
bad, and of the first symptoms is reaching q
decision, with a chance of sticking to it.
Cures for this and up-to-date form of hysteria
are quibbng vacillatiOn, endless discussion fancied
doubt, pernicous complacency, lethargy, fear-and
particularly fear of making mistake-mulling and
procrastination There plenty of cures, but for
the love Of virty let have the disease and give
the remedies to those who fear it, and send them to
the aquarium museum, where they may contem-
plate the jeyhsh or the mummies.
II must be called hystercal when are
prompt and active in finding out il there Is anything
wrong with military affairs, in being quick
and thorough in making good any wrongs discovered
why, let be hysterica, by all means. Hystera Is
Just what we need IN even II IL costs
the country than the s256,OOOOOO that to
stagger Mr.. Hildreth. Does he think that just be-
cause that figure is in the millions its possibilities
should be unlimited?
1t is asked who should tell US how to strengthen
our navy. Who, indeed but the navy itself? Wha,
was its education at Annapolis for, and what is the
value Of its years Of training and study II its officers
cannot say what should be done? can almost hear
some suggest that ask the politicians and get
some Of their quack remedies for hystera. What
would railway company do il it wanted to improve
its locomotives? Ask stock broker, maybe, and il
he should be in doubt the company would be In q
quandary and the directors would all sit moon faced
in row and let the rolling stock rust in the yards
Does a railway company hesitate to improve its
locomotives just because some other company has
been unable to build them that they will not wear
out or withstand the shock Of collision?
/ Does any live business blandy sit with folded
hands and drink grape juice, get rusty and collect
cobwebs and barnscles, and finally die Of senty Just
because some other house in the line has failed
Is naval architecture any other branch Of military
architecture such mystery that we must enter ar
unknown field, one entirely of experiment., and dis
cover at first hand everything need? II the only
answer to be had TO all this is an affirmative one
then II is about time something happened to this
country. Some blood should be injected into il
whether il wants IL not
/ Some day nation will strike US hard aud.
denly, right in the front window, bay or transom
And II condition then is as some of our citizen,
would like 10 have It, what will take place will prob
ably be, with apologies 70 Peter Newell or Gelet,
Burgess forget which-the schoolmaster will rush
out and, demanding Of the boys who threw the stone
get the reply: at must have been shooting star
Whereupon every will be satisfied, and We will
70 noddng our textbooks until the next shot
Like all nations, have certain types of citizens
that must be seen, but wish they could not be
heard much. They the lingo, the braggart
the extremely self-complacent and the
price man, who Is usually the hysteria coward. lie,
us continually bcseech the Almighty to deliver u.
from the councils of all these men, and especially
from the councils Of the extreme pacifcst who would
not have the willingness of spirit the strength OF
flesh 20 defend his own household goods and honor
should invader appear the shores Of his coun-
try or at the very door of his house.
II. L. PARKHURST
Pratt Institute School OF Architecture, Brooklyn
Dec. 10, 1914