The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-12-12
Compulsory Military
Service of Some Kind

they even point out our potentially Of
force, but they counsel against any
preparation thereof. They base this
counsel upon the expressed fear that
il we possess force. we will be induced
TO use 1t when we should not. This
position ignores the responsibilities
which we have undertaken and which
we must maintain at any self sacTi-
fee. 1t ignores the fact that IL ma
tons which possess force are likely to
use 1t when they should not. some ma
ton which has such force is likely 10
use 1t against US when II should not.
1t assumes that our nation may not he
trusted with force for fear that it may
misuse 1t.
The eyes Of many are !lin.cd to
fatt and their minds closed 10 reason
BY an adherence OF wn.. the! term
.mi'itarism. without any actual coll
ception Of Just what this means or
how It should affect the proper con-
sideration of the subject. Those who
really fear militarism, or. more ac-
curately stated. those who dread real
militarism. should be the strongest ad-
yocates Of reasonable preparation. The
latter is the preventive of militarism.
II they unwisely defeat reasonable
preparation, they leave the country
in condition where the inevitable
result Of defeat. humiliation or acute
apprehension will be hasty and Ill adj
yised provisions as to armament lar
beyond anything which calm reason
and wise provision would deem nee
essary.
There will lie those who assert that
the proposed policy opposes the ira
ditions Of the people and runs counter
thereto. THIS Is mere assertion; 1t
Is not the fact, and in truth the fact
Is to the contrary. The proposed pol
icy is exactly in keeping with our ira
ditions.
Still Other Glasses.
There will also be those who will
express regret that the policy here
tofore pursued. or lack Of proper mil
itary precautions. is to be departed
from because 1t has been invaluable
as an example to the rest of the world
and we should not remedy the lack
because we would then sense to lie
such an example. 1t shout be OBJ
served first, in considering this point
Of view, that 1t entirely ovcrlooks
the vital and imperative duty TO our
selves which requires that we should
protect and defend that which we
cherish and hold dear. Furthermore.
1t overlooks the fact that although we
have been Just the example that they
desire throughout the more than a
century and quarter OF our exist
ence. the results existing in the world
today do not warrant the belief that
our example has had any beneficial
effect.
There are some who decry taking
any precautions or making AMI pref
arations Of the, military power Of the
nation because they say 1t will not
prevent war but will provoke it. Men
and nations must prepare to meet
their responsibilities; IL II g adyis-
able to develop strength sufficient 10
repel wrong because such developt
strength may be misused, human ma
ture has indeed reached an impasse.
Why shoaid IL be presumed that n
just man OF just nation will cease
to be just because 1t has the power TO
be unjust? We must either trust
others or trust ourselves.
Another Stumbling Block.
Another stumbling block to some is
the suggestion that no preparation
should be made and no precaution
should be taken because no one can
foretell how much we may have 20
meet and what we will -clrrs TO meet
1t. Here again the idea embodied in
this suggestion would stay all human
progress. There will be some who
assert that the devastating effects and
the horror produced by the war now
being waged make 1t certain that war
will be avoided for a long periol OF
time after the close of the present
war. They will argue that the ex-
haustion Of resources and the rccol-
lection Of the awful suffering VII
have the effect of deterring nations
from entering upon war. What basis
is there for such belief? Certainly
such basis cannot be found in history
our own or that Of other nations.
There will be those who believe
and assert that the time when war
can be avoided by negotiation or arbi-