Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-07-22
COLONEL STRONG FOR
UNIVERSAL ARMY SERVICE
ON THE SWISS PLAN

~ -~-----~--@~-e~~-~~--@--~~-4
an explicit promise in each case that
il american women were raped and
American men murdered. as has act
ually occurred iu Mexico or Ameri-
can men. women and children drown
td on the high seas. as in the case Of
the outright ana Lusitania. or M a
foreign power secured and fortified
Masdalena bay or the Island of ST
Thomas we would appoint a commits
sion and listen To "a years converse
lon on the subject before taking any
action.
England and France entered into
these treaties With us and we begged
Germany to enter into one. and all
though Germany refused. vet if we
We're right in entering into them with
England and France. we deprived
ourselves Of moral justification in re-
fusing To fulfill their spirit as regards
Germany Personally. I believe that
it was absolutely necessary when the
concrete ease arose TO repudiate the
principle o. which we had thus cons
mitted ourselves But il was a shame
full thing TO have put ourselves i'm
such position that it had to be re-
pudiated ana it was inexcusable of
us 20 decline To follow the principles
In the case of The Lusitania without
at the same time making frank con-
iession of our error and misconduct
by notifying am the powers with whom
We had already made the treaties
that they were withdrawn. because in
practice We had found ii impossible
and improper To follow out the priu-
ciples to which they committed us
Against Disarmament.
In the same way, let the indiVid-
uals who advocate disarmament say
clearly just what they mean. II this
nation is TO disarm, that is. it it is to
take the old-Chinese attitude about
preparedness for war, then it must
be prepared to adopt the Chinese att
utude of helpless submission to any
condition which foreign powers
choose to impose Let it be under
stood that under such conditions if
disorder continues i'm Mexico we shall
not object To some European or Ash
attic power taking possession of Mex
leo or any part of IL and then doing
what it chooses there. Let it be un-
derstood that If i'm such case some
power wishes to take possession of
the Panama canal, we shall not, be
cause we are not able to, raise any
effective protest These are the things
that disarmament means, for disarn-
ament would represent merely the
Chinatication of this country.
81 advocate preparedness against
war as the best type of peace insur-
ance Preparedness for war may be
not only the best hut the only cor
receive for the spirit of miltarism.
ta lFt a. of
republics, and the least miitaristie;
and vet relatively to its size it is the
one best prepared against war
Preparedness is not the affair Of
day. If we begin at once, year or
two must elapse before we shall have
accomplished even a beginning. We
should do what switzerland and Ar
gentna. for example, have already
done. They now have universal mili-
tary service in Argentina. The Argen-
tine army is a great deal more TT to
uphold the Monroe doctrine south or
the equator than our army, and in
spite of its high average of individual
efficiency and because Of its lament
able smallness. is fit to uphold the
Monroe doctrine north of the equator
Drawing to the conclusion of his
address, Colonel Roosevelt urged in
creasingly high standards of eff
cheney in the army ana navy. THE
naVy," he said should never be
used as it was SO long used in Next
can waters, for a police work Of a
kind that ensures its deterioration as
a lighting machine. 1t should be kept
up to the highest pitch of fighting
efficiency. It should be kept superior
to any possible foe which might at
tack us within the limits above set
forth
"Our regular army should be
greatly increased i'm size and render
much more efficiency by yearly ma
neuVering in mass, as wen as practice
in other directions. Conditions in Mex
leo are such that unless the MeXicans
themselves come TO their senses and
unless We are content to see foreign
powers undertake the regulation of
Mexico, We may ultimately have to
intervene such Intervention would
represent not real war but work OF
pacificaton and police. For such a
work volunteer soldiers are not well
fitted 1t should be done exclusively
bv the regular army and for Tins
purpose there should be mobile
army of over 1870, 600 mon, So that
the whole regular army should be
about 100000 strong.
In addition | firmly believe that
there should be universal military
service for our young men ON the
Swiss model I'm switzerland the boys
are trained for their last few years
i'm the public schools and after they
graduate from the public schools
they serve with the army for four or
six months and then for eight or ten
DAYS every year for the next ten
years This training and service, so
far from hampering the Swiss or
switzerland industriallY has adueo
enormously to the Industrial efficiency
both of the individuals and of the
nation, and to their social efficiency
also.
FINALLY the most important, let us
remember that there can be no ei-
ncient preparedness AGAINST war uh-
less we prepare our own souls. II we
become soft and fabby physlcally
and morally, we shall fail. NO najloh
ever amounted to anything II lls pop
ulation was composed Of paclllsis aiu
poltroons, If its sons did not nave lnC
lighting edge, if its own women d'u
not feel as the mothers 81 Na7I'l'b
toms continentals felt as the u4olhel
of the men who followed Grant ana
Lee felt: men who are not ready TO
fight for the right are not it to I'VE
i'm "A free democracy The only women
M to be wives and mothers in a iree
republic are those who feel that Their
sons are not sons Of theirs unless
when their country calls their sous
are eager and their feet jubilant 10
answer the mighty trumpet hote
which announces that the hearts oil
men are being sifted out before the
judgment seat"