The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-09-06
SAYS WAR IS AN
EXAMPLE TOU. S.
Demonstrates the Imperative
Need of Adequate Mill
tary, Asserts Kahn.
URGES RESERVE CORPS
Representative Declares Disarmament
Theorists Would Have Put Ma
ton at Mercy of World.
by JULIUS KAHN,


CRerresentatire from California and Member o
House Military CommitteeJ
II the United States had followed the
advic. Of disarmament advocates, say
since the civil war il is interesting 10
contemplate the kind Of helpless haIioh
which We should be at the present tlfne.
We would have been practically without
a navy except a few little ships FOR salut-
ing purposes, We would have had an
army OF a few thousand men. We would
have been without Notifications on the
sea coasts.
IT is possible that We would have had
the Panama Canal. although this is a
very doubtful proposition. as the trip OF
the Oregon around South America forced
the building of the canal. But even II
We had the canal, We would have no Tor
tifcations there. And even II we mad
tried TO protect II by neutrality treaties,
the past few weeks have demonstrated
such treaties to be Of no value whatever
in time of war The ideal position OF the
United States, Accord g to the advocates
Of disarmament is that the United States.
with its contiguous territory and Alaska,
should be a self-centered country in
America. absolutely isolated and relying
upon that isolation for safety. IF we
will mind our own business We will have
no war with any nation" has been the
o
Present War nm Example.
Let us take the European war as an
example of what would have happened
If the ideas of the people, who didn
want either an army or navy, had
prevailed The United States would have
been bottled up. Having no ships TO
send our products abroad, we would not
have been allowed TO purchase any. We
would not have had naval vessels TO
use for transportation Of gold for strand
ed Americans in Europe. More than
that any one Of the warning nations in
Europe could have said to us, DO not
send foodstuffs to any other nation,
and We would have been compelled to
comply, because We would have had no
means Of protecting such few merchant
ships as we now possess or may acquire
under the emergency legislation which
has been passed.
The European war has been the best
object lesson that could have been taught
those people who have been Clamoring
for decreasing the army and navy. 1t
has shown the country that the army
and navy have been necessary TO main
tain the honor and dignity and even the
commercial position of the United States.
Thanks to the patriotism and sound
sense Of men who have been in control
of our government, we have good navy
and we are going to make it better. To
the same men we are indebted for the
security We feel in our seacoast defenses.
But there is yet much to be done to
make the mobile army sufficient to meet
new conditions. With garrisons needed
in the Philippines, in Hawaii, in Alaska,
and in Panama, more infantry and field
artillery are imperative. The army
should be concentrated so that officers
and men can be trained in large bodies.
How can general and field officers be
developed in small garrisons? Only in
maneuvers can they learn to handle
large bodies of troops.
We need more trained soldiers, men
who have served In the army, and who
San be called into service when an
emergency arises. 1t is the 1ndisputed
fact that in every war We have suffered
for want of trained soldiers. The raw
levies ever have lacked necessary knowl-
edge and discipline The same raw re-
eruits and volunteers that become dis
organized mob and run away when
thrown into battle without training be-
came the flower OF a steadfast army
after one or two years service. That
is the kind of troops we could maintain
with an adequate reserve system.
II the United States government does
not tangle up with arbitration Compacts
and peace treaties, and goes its way
its supremacy on the West
ern Hemisphere. its rights Of commerce
in all parts of the world on an equality
with all other nations, asking nothing
but what is right of other nations, II
ought to avoid war.
But it has been shown that European
nations do not stand upon rights. Some
nation was wrong or there would not
have been any war in Europe. Some
nation might go wrong in dealing with
US and a war could easily result. Con-
sequently we must have an army, an
army better than that which now exists.
and a reserve force which could be called
10 the colors in case of a sudden war.
The European war has shown how sud
denly nations can be embroiled and that
trained troops and reserves are neces-
sary to meet such emergencies.