Iditarod pioneer., 1914-05-16
WEIRD PREDICTION BASED
 ON PLAUSIBLE REASONING

Paris, March lO-The United States may yet be ruled by king, according to Com mandant Haillot, French military author ity. The statement was made in all serl- ousness in a discussion of what Halllot terms the development of the American offensive Contrary to popular notion, he declared the American has an underlying but exceedingly strong love for conquest and war, and his capacity for hero worship appears to be unlimited. To support his theory he calls to witness Theodore Roose velt's dash to power on the back of a | bucking broncho, via San Juan hill, in Cuba, the rapid spread of American iron tiers and the report circulated in Europe that the United States is soon to augment materially her army and navy.
 'FUp until the war with Spain, in 1898" 1 Commandant Hailot said, Everybody be lieved the American republic to be the worlds principal exponent of peace. In view of the marvellous economic prosperity of the country, people willingly forget the warlike America of Washington's day which went singing to war with England j; the America which fought with Mexico in 184S, and waged civil war for five years during the sixties. And the impression was aided by seeming unpreparedness for war. But the war in Cuba set the world to rights.
 "The opening of the Panama canal ac companied by the seizure of all approaches, | places every country in both North and South America directly in the unacceptable control of the United States. The same republic which evokes the Monroe doc Urine against the countries of Europe IS thus constrained to transgress herself, for today her ambitions go far beyond her own confines defensive policy explains we'll enough the occupation of Hawaii and other similar points, but a distinctly offensive one is responsible for the Philippines Guam, etc. And it is clearly the spirit of con quest, at least commercial, which causes America to watch with the eye of an eagle l the affairs of China and the development of Japan.
 In the meantime the United States is taking every precaution against European even English-competition in South Amer i tba io rrhpn uela, Colombia, Ecuador and even Peru will fall under the tutelage already accepted by Haiti Santo Domingo, Porto Rico, Cuba and Panama, and which now threatens Mexico. Military and naval strength, of course, IS necessary to carry out these projects America must stand ready to compete with the eager German and Jap anese. But there is already talk of navy second only to that of Great Britain, while the little army of 65000 soldiers of yester- day is even now perhaps 100000 strong.
 What is to be the moral effect on the will the public state of mind be when 1925 comes around with an army of 500,000 well-trained and splendidly equipped men, and 8 navy counting eighty dreadnaughts What changes of the American viewpoint are to be expected as the result of war budgets of almost billion dollars of class and caste formations, or military traditions of perhaps two or three successful wars and three or four important annexations of territory?
 "The subject lends itself to endless con lecture, for history furnishes us with nc example to guide us. However, in the in evitable militarization of great republic where already the individual ideas and per sonal value of an ephemeral President oi four years play such a stupendous role, we may at least surmise by way of conclusion that the seed of monarchy IS sprouting,"