Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-06-29
Mr.. Tilden on Preparedness.

I'm December, 1885. Samuel ]. Til
den addressed a letter to Speaker
Carlisle of the Forty-ninth Congress
on the subject of the national de-
tense. then as now in very back
ward state. The same suggestions
had been made to President Cleve-
land. then in the early months OF his
first administration. but he had ig-
nored them. Mr.. Tilden was man
of far vision. intellectually the fore
most democrat of his day. Mr..
Cleveland had been rapidly advanced
from the mayoralty of Buffalo. and
was taking his first national look
around. He failed to see what was
plain as day to the older and more
experienced man.
In his letter Mr.. Tilden said:
The property exposed to destruc-
ton in the twelve seaports, Portland,
Portsmouth. Boston. Newport. New
York. Philadelphia, Baltimore.
Charleston, Savannah. New Orleans,
Galveston and San Francisco. can
not be less in value than five thou
sand millions OF dollars. To this
must be added vast amount of
property dependent for its use of
these seaports.
THE best guarantee against ag-
erosion. the best assurance that our
diplomacy will be successful and pa
cihc. and that our rights and honor
will be respected by other nations,
is in their knowledge that we are in
a situation to vindicate our reputa-
ton and interests. While We may
afford to be deficient in the means
of offense we cannot afford to be de-
fenseless. The notoriety of the fact
that we have neglected the ordinary
precautions of defense invites want
of consideration in our diplomacy, in
justice, arrogance and insult at the
hands of foreign nations"
Thirty years have gone by, ten of
them with the democrats. twenty
with the republicans, in control at
the White House. The property val
ues described by Mr.. Tilden, then
enormous. have been increased amaz-
ingly. Present figures would stag
ger readers by their size.
Then we had no outlying posses
sions with their added responsible
ties. Expansion was in the future.
The Panama canal was but a dream,
discouraged by the failure of the
French company. Now we control
Hawaii. the Philippines. Porto Rico
and the strip across the isthmus
through which the canal, built and
owned by us, flows.
Then the world was at peace, and
we at peace with the world. Now
war is raging as never before since
the world began. Europe is cock
pit. Asia and Africa are involved,
and there is fear that we may be
drawn in If hostilities continue much
longer. And yet we are IN a state
of alarming and humiliating unpre-
o.reduess-all things considered in a
worse state than thirty years ago.
What would be Mr.. Tilden's ad-
vice if he were living? With his
knowledge of government and OF
men, and his wide reading of history,
what would he say to those pacihcists
who with such confagration
sweeping far and near feel no alarm
and oppose every movement for put
ting this country in a state of ade-
quate defense? It>is easy to place
him. He would be leader on the
side of preparedness and power in
the cause, all the stronger for the
unheeded advice he gave thirty years
ago, and which had it been taken
would have spurred US to action
making our present plight impossi-
bic.