The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-14
JOHN @. TfLSON WOULD
WELCOME AN INQUIR \
Ky JOHN u. TILsON.
EN-M ember of Congress from COM
necttcut.

There have been Congressional investi-
cations and Congressional Investigations.
Many Of them have been futile. not to Use
stronger language. Some have accom-
plished good by causing the subject mat
ter 10 be more generally understood. If
there can be devised way to, bring about
clearer understanding of the subject of
national defence such an investigation
should be welcomed by all.
Many persons OF the very best inten'
tons have such "A holy horror of war thai
they are unwilling to take any steps what
ever toward preparation for II. 1t is as
serted that overpr' paration Is an incen-
tive to war surely underpreparation
tends In that direction. and the necessary
consequence in case OF war is fearful loss
Of blood and treasure. History demon
strates this beyond peradventure
Peace. lasting peace. is what all right
thinking persons desire. War is worse
than even Gen. sherman said 1t was. My
very soul loathes it. No words can pic
ture the depths of its horrors. Those
who by ac; or omission give just ground
for war assume a fearful responsibility.
Worse than all wars do come with pain
full frequency at least they always have
In the past. what one great civilized
nation has not been at war within the
last twenty years? What assurance have
We that any nation will be free from war
for five years to come?
Hate IL as we may We cannot overlook
the facts. As far sighted men. loving
peace, but loving our country more, we
should soberly face the facts, however
much we may envy the man who can lull
himself TO sleep with gentle thoughts OF
unbroken peace. and 10y dreaming OF the
millennium bring it Immediately to pass.
Given the nations and peoples Of earth
as We find them. given human nature as
IL Is even at It's best. what is the answer
so far our country is concerned |
do not favor a large navy measured by
British standards hut is our own ade-
quatc and well balanced? | do not favor
large army measured by German stand
ards ! should strongly oppose the main
tenauce of an army of such proportions.
but | refuse to blind my eyes TO the fact
that our army, good as II is is small. even
for the work 1t should do in times OF
peace.
In the spring of 1911 practically all the
mobile troops outside OF Hawaii, Alaska.
Panama and the Philippines wer, re-
CURED TO make a single manpuvre divi-
sion on the Texas border. Since that time
more troops have been sent to Hawaii and
Panama About 100000 organized militia
are available for immediate service, and
though they do excellent work consider
ing their opportunities they have not
reached the state Of military training
necessary for really effective service
against a well trained enemy.
These are facts. some OF them not pleas
ant, hut facts that should be known 50
the problems which they present may be
the more intelligently studied.
one OF the problems, IN fact the first
problem which always arises I'm case Of
var. il that OF raising ,ne strength %
organizations from a peace to a war foot
ing tn. next problem inevitably to he
met is like unto tn, first. and that IS.
keeping the organizations at the front up
TO effective strength after war has begun.
with the training now required for the
individual soldier in order TO make him
efficient. IL is certain that the old method
OF filing up skeleton regiments with raw
recruits at the outbreak of war will not
work The leaven leavens the lump. but
in the wrong direction The net result is
the necessity for retrainnG the organizd-
ton beginning with first principles. The
ideal arrangement from the military
standpoint is to have no difference ne
tween peace and war footing; but there
are practical difficulties in the way. Per
haps the most serious difficulty is that
such a plan would mean a much larger
army than would probably be authorized
or maintained
one plan, which must confess ~ not
free from difficulty. is the ESTABLISHING nj
and maintenance OF "A trained reserve. In
the Sixty-second Congress I introduced
and advocated bill providing for the
beginnings Of such a reserve. II l. graft
flying to note that the present Adminstra-
ton at Washington has given its approval
TO the principles OF my bill
II is "A good time FOR us to consider
such matters. A Congressional invcsti-
cation conducted along proper lines ought
TO be helpful in the final solution of these