Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-08-11
snALL WE INCREASE our ARMY

oAAll WE INCREASE DUN AHmSl
t1fn "a
whether or not the United States
shall increase her army. build more
over and undersea fighters and other
wise strengthen her ''preparednsss''
4 . live question and viii no doubt
take up much Of the time Of the next
Congress.
The follow.as affirmative discus
sion Of the subject by the New York
Globe Is an intelligent presentation
Of that side OF the case;
Secretary Garrison will bring for
ward proposal to increase the army
for National defense to 10000 men.
A few years ago. had anyone sug-
rested that this country needed such
an army. he would have been thought
crazy.
For the first one hundred years
Of It's existence this Nation was the
proud possessor OF regular army
Of less than twenty-five thousand
men. Even the Civil War. gave little
impetus TO the demand for an In
creased National defense. and when
after the spanish-American War II
was proposed to increase the regular
army to 100000 men and place the
National Guard on a better military
basis. a cry OF imperialism, went M
all over the country.
"The American people have, changed
their attitude toward the question.
And the change has not. been the re
suit Of any fear OF an imminent wal
with Germany or any other Nation
II Is the outcome OF q vague appre
hensiveness, a desire to be prepared
for something yet unforeseen,
But the causes OF the increased
interest In preparations for defense
lie much deeper. This Is one OF tn
evidences OF worldwide disillusion
ment wrought by the war in Europe
Within the past year a general feel
ing o; insecurity has taken hold o
the entire human family. We hay'
seen treaties torn up. guarantees o
neutrality outraged. alliances broken
principles Of international LAW smash
ed right and left. We ere not quit
willing Just now to risk our Natlona
welfare upon the faithfulness Of fol
eign powers keeping theiiiprehise'
1T must also be remembered tina
part Of the older American teelins o
National security grew oSutre Our
geographical isolation. ,wWhsR we ma
no colonial dependencies. when fb
means OF navigation we're crude. con
munication difficult. ana an bushes
relations with other NATIONS rathe
simple. the seas seemed, very wide
The echoes OF European quarrel
hardly reached our far!awsy shores
But the events OF this present yea
have shown us that In spite OF Wasi
ington's farewell advice we are II
volved in foreign entanglementsl b
the very complexities OF moder
civilization. Neither can we extricai
ourselves after the manner OF IN
honorable Chinese.
"And. finally. the development
modern methods OF warfare has r
vealed 10 us the disadvantage q
unskilled troops In conflict with
highly organized and thoroughly pr
pared and trained modern militar
machine. "A. s,iyz
when II required only musk
and the ordinary endowment
American manhood TO make a soldi'
: able to hold his own against a who
company OF what we DIRE pleased
regard as the Illuminated, snbjec
of royalty" we felt quite safe fro
Invasion. feeling that fn p. night
could transform 100000 freebol
citizens into an army able to hold
own against the world. Now Anne
cans. who have never been slow
understand the value OF efficienc
have come to see It's place In the ms
ter OF National defense.
This change in the matter OF p'
paredness Is simply a natural adjui
ment Of the facts Of modern life.
does not mean we intend to have WI
any more than taking out a life
surance policy implies that every o.
who does so intends to commit s.
eide"