Evening journal., 1915-02-04

Diu any uuultAu DtluE ever itdu
anything equal to some of the state
ments i'm that part OF President Will
sons annual message to Congress
hich deals with national defense?
He opens the subject by declaring
that of course we are not ready 20
put into the field a nation of men
trained 10 arms; that we never have
been and never will be so long as we
are true TO "our present political
principles and institutions" that we
have always found means to defend
ourselves against attack and always
shall whenever necessary, without re-
quiring compulsory military service
ir times of peace" He then pro-
ceods TO feed his readers with in
tellectual pabulum on the subject OF
the immunity OF the United States and
the impossibility of its being affected
by the present war, which has in
volved half the world
Returning TO national defence. he
declares that from the first we have
had clear and settled policy with
regard TO military establishments" +:
that eve have never had and we
never shall have large standing
army; that we are ready TO defend
ourselves "tO the utmost" without
turning America into military
camp" and without asking "our young
men to spend the best years of their
lives making soldiers of themselves. "
President Wilson then assumes the
role of prophet and condescends to
let us into the secret he has discov-
cred by announcing that there is
another sort OF energy in us. II
Will know how to declare itself and
make itself effective should occasion
arise but he studiOusly refrains
from enlightenng us as to the
nature of this mysterious force and
the form it will take.
He then goes on 20 enunciate his
cardinal principal; namely that eve
must depend in every time of ma
tiOnal peril, in the fut,re as in the
past, not upon a standing army, nor
yet upon a reserve army, but upon a
citizenry trained anC accustomed tc
arms" This he follows up by ad.
vocating that every volunteer should
be trained in "the use of modern
arms, the rudiments of drill ant
manoeuvre and the maintenance anC
sanitation of camps; that every en-.
cOuragomont and attractivenes.
should be given such training; thai
the National Guard of the state.
should be developed and strengthen.
I ed by every means which is not in.
consistent with our obligations TO oui
own people and that "it should b,
our constant policy to make thes,
provisions for our national peac,
and safety'3all of them admirabl,
suggestions. He terminates the sub
iect 10y declaring tat "the countr,
has been misinformed. We have no
been negligent of national defence.
II is outrageous when a high Gov
ornment official makes statement
like some of ,he above, especiall!
the last one. which is not the trutl
because il is not the whole truth.
/ And when such an official has beer
the head of great university, ha
written a history of the American
people and is trusted because h
processes to be a historian. his cours
| i'm thus deluding the nation deserve
! the severest possible condemna
ton.
When President Wilson assert
/ that 1--WE have always found means
| to defend ourselves against attack
| he makes a statement unfOunded il
fact This professed historian ap
parently has not learned that i'm ISL
more than 100000 militia from Penn
sylyania, Maryland and Virgins
/ We're unable to prevent $500 Britis
! from attacking and burning Wash
] ington under their very noses. IL i
all very we'll for him to declare tina
! the United States cannot be affecte
by the present war in Europe wit
which we have nothing to do, who's
causes cannot touch us" We al
remember what he prophesied abou
Mexico during the past twent
months and what has actually oC
cured.
Nothing could be more accurat
than President Wilson's statemen
that from the first we have had
clear and settled policy with regar
to military establishments" Tha
policy has been the most shortsight
ed. laundering. criminal militar
policy ever pursued by a great na
tion of supposedly intelligent me
in modern times. policy which pre-
vented the United States from al
tanning the front rank among tn
nations Of the world until the au
tumn of 1898, because at no time /
its national career, except at the en-
of the civil war. was IL capable [
repel insult by force of arms at
moments notice.
No American will for a minui
wish to turn the country Into
military camp or "tO ask our youn
men to spend the best years of the
lives making soldiers of themselves
but If President Wilson has disco
cred "a new sort of energy in US
which "will know how to declare i
self and make itself effective shoul
occasion arise" he has certainly pc
formed a most marvellous magici
feat.
The crux of the whole matter
contained in the statement that 'v
must depend in every time of nj
tional peril, not on a standing arm