Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-03-13

!, tiles Of transportation an Invasion can.
not be made with the greatest ease.
The stepping across the ocean which
Lincoln ridicuied is fact today. Dis.
lance particularly military distancel
is measured in the number OF days
travel required to reach given point.
Thus today the great ports OF the
United States are nearer those OF Ell.
rope than was the city OF Richmond
TO Washington during the time Grant
was campaigning against Lee
Americas entire force. regulars and
militia. even snppcsing they could be
modified, is no more than the ad.
vance guard Of the modern army. And
the mobilization OF these forces, as
shown by the experience of the past
four years, Is q matter of months. not
days, And even when modified 1t has
been found that only small part OF
the available troops can be moved be,
cause of lack OF commissary. ammuni-
tion and hospital trains and the neces-
sary supplies for these.
Bic Army Might BE landed.
On the other hand. military authofi.
day after the declaration Of war lsuch
is the speed Of European mobilization
would see force of from 200 1000 to
800, 900 landed In the United States by
England, Germany or France, or other
combinations of European powers.
Within a month these forces could be
increased to a million men as all the
European powers have merchant ma
rine to move that force. This Is sup
posing that the Europeans had con-
troll of the sea, and with England or
Germany this would be assured In 40.
vance as those nayies so far outrank
ours In first line ships 1.-THE ratio be-
ing A to IA and % to II respectively
that to oppose them would be suicide
for cur men and ships.
Japan's army could be landed on the
9th day after the declaration Of his
tilities and she could move half q mil
iian men in one expedition. Here
again this is contingent upon the con-
troll of the sea, not unreasonable
supposition since England is her ally.
Yet Congress and the people would
not be warned: and came that dis
graceful war of land defeats 1912. Nor
was this warning needed in its turn,
and so followed the needless sacrifice
OF q million lives In the Civil war and
that other military scandal the Span.
h-American war.
Million Lives Endangered.
And still the warning OF the past
remains unheeded. and the majority Of
the people Of the United States are
deliberately eountenancing the murder
OF another million of our best youne
men at some time in the future. MUIR
der. There IS no other name for II.
Criminal neglect to provide in the past
for an adequate system OF military
training and defense has cost this
country In other wars q million Of
lives that could have been spared; II
has prolonged wars needlessly for
years, and has wasted billion Of
treasure that should have gone into
productive development of the land In
the future the needless waste Of life
and treasure from such criminal neg
lect will be even greater, as science
has made 1t easier to kill and destroy.
And all this can be laid at the doors
of the very people who. recognizing
that human nature is as It always has
been, carefully lock up their houses
and valuables and insist upon q po-
liceman at the corner to keep order,
yet also insist that the nations treas
ure chest remain unlocked without
single policeman on guard.
H. C. JACKSON.