The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-10-14
The Military Spirit Of New England
An Argument for the Military Training
of the American Youth-Address by
One of Philadelphia's Leading Citizens.

"A condition of preparedness has
been asserted to be provocative of
war. So far as the proposition is
applied to New England IL Is not
true. The military spirit of New
England when in vigor had naught
to do with aggression though always
with preparedness. Our Christian
ancestors, seeking place to worship
In peace the prince of peace, made
fair treatment of peace and amity
with the red men. on whose land
they made their homes. But they
lan''ed from their ships with their
matchlocks on their shoulders. They
built them blockhouses for defense
They drilled and trained and were
ever ready for the trouble that then
threatened. But early New Eng
land was never chauvinistic. She
did not maintain large standing ar
mics. She sought not conquests. De-
string peace she prepared her men
for war. Thus the military spirit
Of our fathers found expression.
Washington did not fear that being
prepared to fight would create a de-
sire to fight for the fights sake; and
American history does not indicate
1t. The warriors who have found
high place in American history have
hnnn hav
fought against oppression and in
protection OF what they believed to
be right, and please God we and our
sons all and always, prepared or un-
prepared. will be quick to follow
their example. But they loved peace
and such is the spirit of our nation
today.
While believing that preparation
for war Is not a cause of war, we
know that 1t may well be the cause
of victory; and, hating the thought
Of war, we dearly desire that our
sons and our country, struggling
against the invasion of their rights,
may win the victory.
We cannot doubt that our country
offers a temptation to needy and
powerful peoples. We cannot doubt
that needy and powerful peoples
yield to the temptation offered by in
adequately protected wealth. History
ancient, medieval, and today in the
making, forbids.
II we seek in the traditions of any
of the great nations convincing evil
dence that We are secure In relying
for our safety on its forbearance, his
tory will fail to reveal 1t. And a ma.
ton of 10O.0O0,000 people and almost
inexpressible wealth, is too great to
depend for it's protection from insult
and outrage, on the manganimity and
forbearance Of its contemporaries
Let us not be deceived into taking
residence in a FOOLS paradise. The
world old spirit OF aggression Is
awake In every needy nation. 1t is
alive in every nation, though DORM
ant in some.
We are asked, What excuse would
any nation have for making war up
on America The wolf at the stream
had no difficulty in finding cause for
quarrel with the lamb. And nations
in passion, or in need, have been as
INSCRIPTIONS. God grant that we
may never play the lamb to another
nations wolf, however patient and
long suffering We may rightly be to-
ward weakness and good intent.
It may be asserted that our navy
Is a sure protection against the
threat OF great ornaments in the
control of needy peoples. What is
happening In the world casts a grave
doubt upon the protecting power of
any navy today, and makes absurd
any dependence upon a navy as afi-
nal line of defense, in future years
And whatever may happen on the
sea we can endure and prepare to
remedy, II we are able to keep the
enemy off our soil. | am not writ
ing an argument against a strong
navy, but an appeal for a reserve
land force invincible at home.
And there are other benefits, sec
ond in importance only to national
security, to flow from the military
training of our children. make bold
to assert that lack OF discipline is
among the most striking characteris-
tics of the unspecialized American
youth OF today. When the curricul.
um of every boys school and col
lege includes adequate and sternly
directed military training in the
school of the battalinon, with GER
tain camp training in each long va.
cation; when West Point, in add
ton to providing the officers neces-
gary to the proper command of our
coast defences and small regular ar.
my, turns into civil life each year a
thousand young men educated in the