New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-28
THE CURSE OF MILITARISM
Preparedness Held To Be the Cause
of Many Great Evils.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor or Inc Tribune.
Sir: admire your enterprise and your
eearlessness in stating your position, but
think you approach the domain Of the "yel'
low journalists" in your structures on the
British Liberal government in your editorial
Of October 20. In this editorial you condemn
that government for not having held an ideal
Of military preparedness before their coun-
try, but you completely overlook the disas-
tious effects of an ideal Of military prepared
ness as illustrated in Germany, and TO less
degree in France and some other countries.
Where an ideal of military preparedness
is lived up to a large part OF the most in
telligent men are withdrawn from productive
life, and have their lives during working
hours wrapped up only in living up to the
regulations of military handbook and in
studying how the military power may most
efficiently dominate the rest Of the COM
munity Such men have none of the respon-
sibilities of seeking an independent liveli
hood so outside of working hours they seek
distractions to supply the natural craving for
mental stimulation which every ambitious
free worker desires.
such men live in barracks, and while organ
lied immortality centres in all army posts
it is most conspicuous where men live In
barracks. This you will admit is notoriously
true even in our peaceful United States OF
America. Paris has become byword among
nations for its notorious resorts, WHICH, %
every passerby can see, are largely supported
by the military. But Berlin Is said by those
Tho know ii normally to be even more gay.
II appears from official statistics that 20 per
cent of the births there are officially re-
rorted as illegitimate, far In excess Oh any
other respectable city. and have heard Ger
man medical men estimate that IN Germany
fully half a million illegal operations arc
performed annually with the object OF re-
ducing the population. 80
The above is only one OF the curses ioHor
irg from militarism, but it should De sum
Gent to make a widely read man IKE your
editorial writer hesitate TO plunge TINS coun-
try into a career Of militarism. fou' more
over, know that the race for "enciehcy :"
Europe was making expenditure outruh re-.
cnue. till even Germany was more heavily
taxed than France when the war began. Inc
British Liberal government, which you con
denim. was almost alone in Europe in redue-
;rg tho national debt Of It's country IL
brought the empires scattered fleets tcgetnei
Tow years before the war, and mobilireo
th.r, when the war began. The same admin
;stration welded the British colonies into
vast empire ruled by mutual trust rather
than nv the iron heel Of . military des-
ro.ism.
PERHAPS you. like other people. were daf-
lied nv Germany's efficiency" in industry
hyt the efficiency" was spectacular rather
than real. For example, believe this eoun'
t,v imported more sheep manure ITO"
FL rome than il did dyestufs from Germany
In another line, a recent Austrian wr''e'
benonus the fact that German teS''e ~"
chirery is often inferior to English pes'u
"ss result Of the periee.o"
machine tools and working methods tne
English. in spite of higher wage sea'e, nav
heen able TO build textile machinery cheape,
than has been possible in the Continents
shon." So. too, while her Official reports
show illiteracy almost unknown. the Germs"
IMMIGRANT. landing in the United o.sN.
averaged more illterate than Immigrants OF
several other nations
In n word. militarism has so dasslei you snu
others in this country that you faii 70 ~
,ha MORAL and social ruin that falls on tnoss
who pursue w. anu the """".'s' 80 a..
vh;.h IL throws on the countries which de-
vote themselves TO such unproductive con-
sumption Of wealth.
"nur naval heroes" at Vera Crus went 70
u.eIes. death because our peace" loving
administration had its eyes dasxled Dy IN
military power intrusted to them, ana w
Mexicans who died at their hands were 10
more guilty than were the Belgians VINO a"'
at the hands Of the Germans. .,.
New York. Oct. ~. 1915.