The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-07-23

used Il as a highway IN marching
? AGAINST the Austrians and South DER
mans Absolutely the same fate
would have been theirs now save for
the vital fact that in the century in
tervening the swiss people, having
learned the lesson. had prepared in
advance IN were thorolshly compe-
tent to defend themselves. They had
a irst class citizens' army OF about
one-tenth the size Of their whole
population. This army was Instantly
mobliized and thrown on the from
tiers and in consequence switzer.
lands territorial Integrity wns re-
spected.
But Belgium. alas. a not learned
the lesson which switzerland had
learned. For eighty years Belgium
had been at peace and had achieved
an extraordinary measure Of indus
trial prosperity. Her people had
done fundamentally what ours have
done. For many year they declined
TO prepare to defend thcmselves at
all. IL was confidently asserted that
the days OF great wars had passed,
and that anyhow Belgium was abso-
iutely m tfcnsive 20 tina. nobody
would invade her. and that II her ter
Iritory was threatened with invasion
the opinion OF the civilized world
would be sufficient TO prevent the
carrying out OF the threat: and be-
sides 4 was pointed ont there werc
treaties absolutely guaranteeing Hell
sium agains: invasion: and further
more Il was explained that The
Hague convcnti6ns-which we our
selves signed but which We immedi-
ately treated as scraps OF paper"
when the emand was made to show
that our signatures mean; something
made the whole world ~guarantors
OF Belgian territorial Integrity.
China, on the other hand. had for
generations been trained to regard
peace as the most desirable Of all
aims and to look down upon war ana
soldiers. She has acted on the theory
that the worst peace was better than
the best war. and therefore she has
suffered all the evils Of the worst war
aud the worst peace.
Some day or other It may well be
that we shall have to pay on "a ten
fold greater scale the same price for
exactly the same reasons: and. III
such should be the case. remember,
fellow countrymen. that whereas
the case Of the Bclgians excited warm
sympathy. our mlsfortunes would cx-
cite nothing but scorn and contempt.
for a rich. powerful. boastfui people,
the ridiculc OF all mankind H.
whether from sheer Stiffness and
shortsightednoss. or from soft timid-
ity, or from gross and greedy deyo-
tion to the material benefits % the
moment. II fails to prepare itself to
It's own rights with It's own
strength
In the face Of such q presentment
facts. who can doubt thai a state
of preparedness Ii demanded as the /,
safeguard OF our national peace?
And in the light OF events abroad.
the vast armies they have
brought out. the mighty guns that ,
have been employed aud the vast
Quantities OF ammunition expended.
anyono say that we are pre- s
America stands with her vast army +,
u less than 10000 men. not compar- I
lhle to Beigium's forces al the he I
Of the war; with her highly :.
'fncient reserve Of cisht members. 7
With her great hosts OF field artillery i
nd her astonishing store 81 ammuni- c
lon, almost enough for "A single y
Teek's fighting. In exactly the same I
as a boy with o pop-gun fac c
rg possible attack by an armed thug :
II we ave a war. wen last Just =,
bout az long In