The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-07-08
Debating War Preparedness.

The letter quoted In the Register an,
Leaders editorial and the editorial Itself
are political documents. Neither meeti
nor apparently Is based on an attempt 70
understand the specific criticisms brought
by the Navy league and other critics Of
our conditions OF naval defense. To these
whether the wilson administration hal
done more for preparedness than III
predecessors. These critics know no poll
tics In their propaganda: they realize bet
ter han most politicians that there hal
been no partisan distinction In the negleq
and m~ishandling OF our navy and arml
affairs. The republican party, In fact
has has more Ssmot to ansg Ssss for On 2 this his s SSs m aaa,
years of power and opportunity.
Blu there Is no excuse at this stage o.
ne public discussion on national defenst
paper as loose In its allegation Of fact AMI
In its reasoning as is the Register ant
Leader editorial. The first misstatemen
is gross, and II is In the opening para
fact that more than half of the total rev
enues OF the country are used for thi
army and navy and things incidental Il
ment' it should go without saying thai
there must be something to show 10!
more than tSOo!0Oo'o0 a year American
money" ...
The total appropriation for the nav
In 1914-15 was less than $145, 10000; that foi
the army, Including fortifications, was lesI
than sos 100000, a total of less than S263,
900, 900 instead of the $500. O0o. 900 charged. 4
the Register and Leader proposes to adj
the pension appropriation Of $72. 00,0 900
the sum even then would fall $175, 100000
short, but charging the pension burden Il
the army and navy Is a sardonic joke, FOL
if we had had a regular army. of respect
able size In 1861 we would not have hat
the pension mountain. E
The editorial is 2 masterpiece Of mis-
knocking down straw men and setting vi
non se%quiturs to take their place. The
fact that we are spending ian enormous
military equipment" is no answer to thI
charge by authoritative critics that oui
defenses are Inadequate. On h contrary
these critics constantly emphasize this
fact, and the relevant argument based on
the fact Is that We ought to get more
than we do for the money we spend. We
a get this more by taking a course ex.
actly opposite to that of the Register and
Leader-by listening to experts Inc not to
political editors in or out Of office. Brag-
ging about our d~readnaughts which no
one criticizes does not supply deficiencies
existing In the navy any more than Com
mander Yates Sterling prevented the loss
of a submarine in Honolulu harbor OF
the mishaps suffered by others In the
our ebullient Mr.. Daniels into appointing
Captain Grant to reorganize that branch
OF the service.
Our navy is too small for our RESPONSE
DAAAkACo ia WV SNNoAAo us bLDLnChD 10 uC-
fective, lacking d~estroyers, submarines,
a~eroplanes. and battle cruisers. It's per-
onn Is weak. The higher officers do not
reach high command until they are ready
for retirement and there are fewer trained
officers In proportion to men than in any
navy. and we nav virtually no reserve. q
fatal "a. lack AFTER war losses begin: ,.,,
is congressional meddling with expert
matters. The greatest avy In the world
could not hold its place FIVE years under
is the British naval expert that spends.
We need a council of national defense to
develop and sustain a comprehensive
fense' this council to Combine reoresents-
lives of the legislature, or appropriating
power. and OF the executive, or spending
power. ~
An editorial which shows In every
statement its ignorance OF facts and OF
principles n its want of common sense
thought on the subject of national defense
naturally does not hesitate to throw off
the claim that 'the nation Is better pre-
pared for war than ever In the nearly 150
years OF its existence II this were con-
since our history shows that we always
have been wastefulIy and pitifully unpre-
pared for war before our wars began.
But those who give thought to conditions
know that relatively we are far less pre-
pared than ever becaus the war equip
ment OF great power has far outstripped
our very slight recent advance In eff
cheney. Our responsibilities and our
chances Of dangerous entangiements are
many times greater than they have been
IN the past. That ought to be obvious.
Finally, we advise our inquiring Iowa
reader to get In touch with the PATRIOTIC
and well informed men who I'm the navy
league and the army league are trying TO
combat the traditional Ignorance and un-
safe and unbalanced optimism which ex-
press themselves in the I'VE kin lick all
creation" brag and In such criminal twad-
ole as h declaration Of our late secre;
q million men I'm arms would rally to the
country's defense before set OF sun.