Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-20
s1MII\H PROGRAM BROUGHT
ABOUT WAR N EUROPE.

tbot w \ IL IN
In regard to this. is IL not fair TO
recognize in the first place tina; the
sam" sort OF preparedness which is
urged upon US has been the thing
which largely must he held accountable
for the war III, Errpna ~ Beneath all
Immediate and superficial yauscs 81 tn"
war. there was d"cper'and moro real
thing. That real thing was this-a
spirit among all the peoples OF Europe
OF mvtual jealousy. dis,rust and f.ar
What else could there have been bu,
fear. when the military elements OF
each nation regarding tho other ma
ticns as potential enemies. sourh, to
outstrip their ncighbors in tho launch
ing OF Drcadnoughts. the invention Of
new and more hideous artillery ana the
enlistment of larger armies, Tho
minds OF the peoples OF Europe were
like the minds Of men beside them
selves with mania Of persecution
Each nation believed that the warlikc
preparations or The part of Others
neCess!tated greater preparation on
their own part. and thcs" preparations
in turn provoked further madness in
armament; on the part OF tn" nation
supposedly To Toe guarded against.
All this IS familiar and trite enough
Yet why are SO blind in scein.: it's
application TO America? out OF what
spirit-lct IL be CLOSED over in what
fine phrases II inay--can our own de-
mand FOR larger armament bc born
save out OF the spirit OF fear? We are
told that Nc must fear attack. We
must arm ourselves To prevent II. What
does this mean save that in the measure
in which this policy is carried out eff
GENTLY all other nations must come to
appear TO our military leaders less
and less as friends. and more and more
as potential enemies. II would be their
business to plan how the larger navy
and larger army may he used to repel
attacks OF imaginary Germans or .Japa-
ncse. They would make II their bust
ness TO descry, and paint lurdly in
the public print as some Of them have
been doing for months, infalliblc signs
OF the coming attack on America which
they have got To assume to make their
own demands for "A larger armament
sensible. More and more the steady
balance of the American spirit would
he disturbed by such suspicious. jcal-
ousies and imagined causes for fear
and hate as would fomcnt the very wars
which the greater ornaments We're
supposed to prevent.
WHAT DOES "ADEQI ATE"
PREPAREDNESS REALLY MEAN
I'm the second place, let us examine
for a little favorite phrase of the
advocates of greater preparedness In
General Nicholss speech he made =
plea for Il sane and AIDE iua'c prepared
ness and the first and fourth points
in his plea were these: AN adequate
standing army: an adequate navy.
President Alderman, in his letter. used
this same much favored word What
does it mean? An army and navy
adequate for what?
Adequate to defend our country
against her enemies, is the answer Rut
what enemies? Enemies which we hay,.
now? Which are they? OR is il said
that the reference is to enemies which
we may have? Then which are they T.?
Shall II he said that an army and q
navy to be adequate must be sufficient
to defend this country from any and
all conceivable enemies? We shall find
men enough among the more hysteri
cal element of our military leaders who
will always be ready enough to con
Ceive enemies for us. Does an adccuate
army and navy, therefore. mean that
we must have enough men and encug h
ships to defend America against any
and all armed forces OF the earth? If
not, what. in plain terms does 1T
mean? tN
rs the truth not this? Whatever an