The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-05-11
CAN TAKE A MIDDLE COURSE

IAN ZANE A mIDDLE OOOROA1
The esteemed Times-Union begins
a long article with the evident inten
ton of reading the Star a lecture
about disagreeing with it on the need
of military preparedness; then it for
got the Star altogether and sailed
along for three-quarters of column
of loaded BREWER Is ems wide, IN
which it confuted the extreme Mr..
Drexel, who wants an army of mil
lion men and navy twice the size OF
that of Britain; also, it talked like an
union labor paper against the danger
of military authority. We had sup
posed the Times-Union and the Star
came very near agreeing on the sub
iect of preparedness. 1t has said the
people should be better armed; so has
the Star. The Times-Union has said
we needed plenty of submarines, and
the Star copied its utterance with
approval. The Times-Union said We
needed more men for the coast artil-
lery, and again the Star copied and
approved. Notwithstanding Congress
paid little attention to either of US
or maybe little attention to the T.-U.
and none to the Star. The Star has
said the country should be in shape
to fight in case it had to fight, but 1t
has never advocated excessive mill
tary and naval establishment.
The point the Star tried to make in
the remark that got the Times
Union to going was that it was better
to sin than be sinned against-that
if there is to be no more right but
might, we would rather America had
the might; and if the world must be
trampled, we prefer that it be
trampled under American heels. This
is the German doctrine; so far it has
been successful, and success is al
ways justified whether it be justifa-
bic or not. Of course, it isn't neces-
sary nor probable that we will trample
anybody; but doesn't it look like there
is rather more than a possibility that
we may be trampled?
The Times Union says: Now the
United States is entirely satisfied
with her external relations and car
only hope that these will continue
exactly as they are"
Is the United States indeed salts.
fed? Is it satisfied with the insult
and injury heaped on it by Mexico
Is it satisfied with the way our oeear
trade is being treated by the allies
Is it satisfied with the murder on the
high seas of our citizens by the Ger.
mans? Seems to the Star that it has
heard the T-U. dissent vigorously
from the first two questions. 1t seem:
like it is willing to answer the thirC
in the affirmative however
it has made up its mind to be satisfied
because it has to be.
The Times-Union further says
"But If we begin to prepare for wa
they (other nations) must prepare t.
meet the changed conditions-as :
result money and time and effort vii
be expended to leave us relativel.
where we were at the beginning"
They, the other nations, are aIread,
prepared-if we set ourselves to tn
work of preparation, they canno
keep up with US, for they have not on
resources. Germany has now a thou
sand times our prepared strength. w
could equal Germany and bear tn
burden-Germany could not eve
double her present burden of pre-
paredness without breaking down
so where does the Times-Union fin
any reason for its argument O
relative preparedness.
This country does not need to as
sumo the burden of militarism, an
it will be exceedingly foolish if
continues unprepared. We have
long coast line, which particular
needs a strong fleet of submarine
Plenty of these deadly craft, aided b
mines and aeroplanes would rende
. our shores impregnable to a hostil
fleet. We could have a moderat,
sized army, say 100000 men-s
small in proportion to our populatio
that it would be lost in it, yet stron
enough to throw competent fort
to any threatened point. With propt
Notifications at the most importal
points on the coast, and moderat,
sized force of battleships and swi
cruisers, we would be safe from fo
eign aggression without having
military and naval establishmel
that would either burden our Peep
or enslave them
This country is afflicted with tv
varieties of damphool-o thinks
needs no defense, and the other thinI
it can't defend itself without ensla
ing itself. This isn't saying Il
Times-Union belongs to either vari
ty, but we can't figure out by the I
US. article just how it Classics Il
Star.