The Washington herald., 1914-01-19
PLANS FOR War
ALWAYS GO ON
Army and Navy Officials Con
tinually Work Out De-
tense Problems.
ARE READY FOR ACTION
For Months Preparations for Possible
Trouble IN Mexieo Have
Been in Progress.
ARE READY FOR ACTION

The new twtn-screw torpedo-boat de-
stroyer Parker. the largest in its class
ana called the destroyer Of destroyers,
has been turned over to the government
by its builders"
This report, published recently, an
nounced another step toward making tha
United States navy the most perfect
nghting machine in the world. and the
public interest turns for . moment %
the question Of national defense.
The United States has for century
and more held the reputation among the
powers Of the world Of always having
a chip on its shoulder. In the face OF
the recent disturbances In Mexico and
last summers Japanese war scare, how
ever, the United States government re-
manned inactive, to all outward appear
ances In consequence OF this attitude.
the '.jingoes" among our public men
charged that although the American ma
tion has the reputation of. having chip
or its shoulder, that chip Is glued on.
Such is not the case. the army and navy
men contend.
The real attitude of the GOVERNMENT ID
thar the United States already his suf-
fcient warlike reputation to enable II
maintain a passive and dignified attitude
until the time for action Is ripe.
During the alien land law controversy,
which agitated the country last summer,
the government was active. 1t is a fact
not generally known that when the agita-
ton was at its height. no leaves Of alb
sence were accorded to army, navy and
marine corps officers Also the enlisted
men were not permitted to get out os
touch with their commanders for even
a day at a time.
Every new warship, such as the Parker.
which is launched. subtracts the anount
of that vessels fighting power from the
possibility Of warfare. So deadly are the
engines of war built in this twentieth
century. that the nations are becoming
more and more loath to blow the peace
pipe smoke from their horizons, and clear
ship for action
But in spite of the haste with which
battleships are constructed by any one
nation to enable 1t to keep pace with
the progress Of other nations along this
line ii Is a curious fact that there Is not
a really "up-to-date' warship afioat.
Forty-two months are required 10 build
the modern Dreadnought A moments
thought will give an idea OF the amount
of progress in naval construction which
may be made in forty-two months. As
soon as a warship is launched, it really
is an antiquated affair compared with
the Dreadnoughts drawn upon paper. And
when the newest. battleship is completed
forty-two months from now. ii, too. will
be old-fashioned.
Everything is being done, however, to
Offset this handicap. The army and
navy are prepared for war today. accord
ing to many military officiala For months
underground preparations for possible in
tervention in Mexico have been in prog
ress. There are secret plans and charts.
secret orders ready to be signed and dis
patched, and other secret data In the
executive files Of the War and Navy
Departments at Washington, that would
set our warlike machinery in motion al
most at an instant's notice.
Every year. army and navy maneuvers
are held which enable the officers at the
head of these branches OF the service to
advance another stride along the path of
preparedness for war. These maneuvers,
which are looked upon as a sort of sum-
mer holiday for the enlisted men by
many persons. in reality have a theoreti-
cal sternness.
When it is considered that many keen
minds are working out military prob
lens and other keen minds are solving
them, all in the interests of our ma
tional defense, foreign invasion does not
seem probable.