The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-31

PRESIDENT wilson annual mes
sage TO Congress which deals with ma
tonal defence?
He opens the subject by declaring
that OF course we are not ready TO put
into tho field nation of men trained
to 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 requiring "compul-
sorry military service in times Of peace"
He then proceeds to feed his readers
with intellectual pabulum on the sub
. tect Of the immunity OF the United
States and the impossibiity OF it's being
affected by the present war which has
involved half the world
Returning 10 national defence, he de-
clares that from the first we have had
n clear and settled policy with regard
20 military establishments; that I'VE
have never had and we never shall
have a large standing army; that we
are ready TO defend ourselves ito the
Utmost" without turning America into
a military camp" and without asking
'our young men TO spend the hest years
o: their lives making soldiers OF them
selves"
President Wilson then assumes the
role of a prophet and condescends 20
let us into the secret he has discovered
by announcing that there is another
sort of energy I'm us. II will know how
20 declare itself and make itself effec-
tive should occasion arise" but he stu
diously refrains from enlightening us
as TO the nature OF this mysterious
force and the form It will take.
He then goes on to enunciate his
cardinal principle; namely that I'VE
must depend I'm every time of national
peril. in the future as in the past, not
upon standing army, nor yet upon a
reserve army, but upon citizenry
trained and accustomed TO arms" This
he follows up by advocating that every
volunteer should be trained in the
use of modern arms the rudiments of
drill and manGuvre and the mainte-
nance and sanitation OF camps: that
every encouragement and attractiveness
should be given such training; that the
National Guard of the States should
BE- developed and strengthened by every
means which is not inconsistent with
our obligations to our own people, and
that 1t should be our constant policy
TO. make these provisions for our ma
admirable suggestions. He terminates
the subject by declaring tnat the
country has been misinformed. We
have not been negligent Of national de-
fence"
1t il outrageous when high Gov
eminent official makes statements like
some of the above. especially the last
one, which is not the truth because 1t
is not the whole truth" And when
such an official has been the head of a
great university, has written a history
of the American people and is trusted
because he processes to be a historian
his course in thus deluding the nation
deserves the severest possible con-
demnation.
When President Wilson asserts that
1--WE have always found means to de-
fend ourselves against attack" he
makes a statement unfounded in fact.
This professed historian apparently has
not learned that in 1914 more than
100 900 militia from Pennsylvania,
Maryland and Virginia were unable to
prevent $500 British from attacking
=, and burning Washington under their
very noses. 1t is all very well for him
TO declare that the United States can
not be affected by the present war in
Europe with which we have nothing
20 do, whose causes cannot touch us.
We all remember what he prophes!ed
about Mexico during the past twenty
months and what has actually occurred.
Nothing could be more accurate than
President Wilson's statement that
"from the FIRST we have had a clear
and settled policy with regard to mill
tary establishments" That policy has
q, oh tcff cd lar
ing. criminal military policy ever pur-
sued by great nation of supposedly
intelligent men in modern times, n
policy which prevented the United
States from attaining the front rank
among the nations of the world until
the autumn of 1898, because at no time
in it's national career. except at the
end OF the civil war, was 1t capable OF
. showing itself fully prepared to repel
insult by force OF arms at a moments
notice.
No American will for a minute wish
TO turn the country into a military
camp" or ito ask our young men tc
A spend the best years OF their lives max
ing soldiers of themselves" but II
President Wilson has discovered "a new
sort OF energy in us" which will know
how to declare itself and make Itself
effective should occasion arise" he has
certainly performed a most marvellous
magical feat.
The crux Of the whole matter Is con.
tanned in the statement that I'VE mus
depend in every time OF national peril
4 not on a standing army, nor yet upor
:, reserve army, but upon n citizenrS
trained and accustomed to arms" II
other words, the President is not only
determined to perpetuate the vicious
military policy which we have followed
since 1775, but II he means what hi
words say he proposes TO place littl'
or no dependence upon the regular
army or reserve.
II that he so why not abolish th'
sta nding army altogether and alonG
with II abolish our police forces ano
Z fire departments and every other insti
tuition of training in the country an'
let us entrust our destinies to the mill
tia, which receives, generally speaking
an actual training confined to abou
ono week in camp and about seventy
hours drill and instruction during eacl
Salendar year? How long does an!
sa