The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-09-24
ADMIRAL MAHAN DENIES THAT PREPAREDNESS
 LEADS TO. WAR,

One of AEnerica's foremost authori- ties on war is Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, U. s. Ns retired, .wflo will soon begin his seventy fifth year, having been born in West Point, N ' - Sept. 27. 1840 Retiring in 1898 after forty years of service, Admiral Afahan has since devoted himself to literature. and has written many books and arti- cIes dealing with the navy and war. His accomplishment in this field have been recognized by degrees .froIn OK ford and Cambridge, England; Har- ward. Yale, Columbia, Dartmouth, Mo- Gill and other universities
 Admiral Mahan graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1859. and served through the civil war in the Gulf and South Atlantic squad ro1ls. He was delegate to The Hague Peace Congress in 1898.
 The distinguished naval authority does not share the opinion that naval and military preparedness leads to war. When the New Y ork Times d e- tended this view, and suggested that United States and Canadas suggests the real reason why the United States has for a century maintained peace with Great Britain, Admiral Mahan enter ed a denial,
 'sIn the last century, says the Adz nairal, s4t1e most protracted war, the one consequently most expensive in blood and treasure, was the war of secession between the North and South. In what way did guarded contribute to the outbreak? What trained soldiery. what fortifications on either side, that in any way af- fected the determination Ito fight :? The remote cause of the war was slavery; the inme ediate occasion pop al g.. .1 patriotism. truly or falsely so-calIed aroused on either side.
 'tIn 1872 the United States declared war against Great Britain. To what extent did preparations for war affect this decision? Our unprepafatien was ance. except a few naval successes was Iudicrous, even grotesque as an exhibition of military inadequacy
 t,In 1s46 we went to war with Mex ico. Were the determining causes then in any sense preparation for war ? During the past Winter had the pleasure of reading twice George l.. F2ives exhaustive and instructive work, R e1ations of the United States with Mexico. If any one will read the same and find therein that sus- tained military armaments. beyond those originating with the immediate
 menace of war had anything to do with bringing on that conflict, he will be more acute than can flatter my self with being.
 ssThe war with Spain, which result ed in the liberation of Cuba, is of re- cent memory. In what sense, with any. truth. can it be alleged that pre- parations for war-armamentsA an influential motive in that coIlisi on !?
 These instances are from our own history. and, naturally. unprepared- ness for war is the American tradition and. to some extent, the American boast. In every instance the, causes were of the class we call smoral,' which, of course, includes immoral. That is, the motives which led to war were popular and national interests, convict ons, emotions, and syrnpath- 1 ies, although they may have been bad or good, wise or unwise, in any parti- cu1ar instance.
 | T am not prepared to maintain that armaments never cause war; 1 concludes the Admiral stbut I should be prepared to argue that they do SC only when some other exciting cause
 of either interest or national feeling comes into play
 unique wedding took place at St
 Thomas church in New York. wheI Liuet. Hugh Schultz, U. s. A, married | Miss Elsie Schnitt of New York. nh, couple marched under the drawI I