The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-13

( The aeeroSsor This attitude concerns
uc individual, ana him alone. Since
it i"oS not assume to be based upon
fact at reason, IL canno; he dealt with
on tllHt basis. 1t cannot be made The
general rule of conduct under our
surln pf government without depart
tinS from The basis upon which our
( government is founded Our govern
nnsut Is rU~piaed by the law of It's
being Ia uSe whatever force neCes-
/ s8rv ty project the rights of the citi-
/ zen ~ fore leaving this. one is .4n-
( pclIed 20 r'Irry upon what proper con-
{ sideratou there IS based distinction
ftotwcou tte right ca necessity or &c
sirahiH5y .ut using mental force 10 repcl
error -aU3 i1rre 60 repci evil ard
rhysi,9tI frrte 10 repel wrong. IT.
would s.en, u reason were applied.
{tuas iu ta N instance the situation L.
id~uttg4}, aud tHat II we should prop
eriy prepare euf minds TO he strong 90
THAI We cap reject error and our moral
f cha sacteIs a. bS strong so that we can
reJee: evil. we should likewise MAKE
cur physical force strong In order that
/ we may maintain the right as against
|taose who would physically impose the
| wrong upon as.
! There are others concerning whose
clarity ot vision We are not advised.
! ana %FBHFIGffE whose @tNuufteSS %
fs-yt.ttyr1 VT. are t-st informed hessattss,
the attitude which they take is ad-
mittedly nor based upon either vision
OF rca SON. They IRE nose who pre-
diet nat war VIII come 10 this COM
Try, and assert that therefore pre-
cautions with respect thereto are an
wise and needless. Since wars have
come upon nations from the earl est
date Of recorded history 10 this mo-
inert there is no basis of fact Tor
such a position but an actual demon
stration Of the noueXlstence Of such
basis We are early warned that there
would be wars ana rumors OF ars.
1 and that nation would rise against
jnatipn. ana kingdom against kingdom,
and the end was not yet; and that
prediction has been fully verified.
There is no basis and no foundation
| To conclude that this great evil has
been eliminated. and it therefore
must be treated are as all other exist
t ing cvils, and must be prepared
against Surely, as between RESINS
iupou prediction ar upon preparation.
wisdom would not hesitate
There are others among US who 9re
I TOO intelligent aud clcar-sighted not
/ 10 see the facts snd to- realize their
significance bat vino counsel insc-
/ tsoYl because they mistrust themselves
and the nation Those TO whom | now
/ refer do not believe in the doctrine
OF nonresstanee: they do not rest
upon the prediction that an evil which
! has existed eince the world began has
ceased 20 exist and been abolished
/ and should not therefore be considered
as one to be prepared against; trey
even point out our potentiality Of
force, bet they counsel against any
/ preparation thereof They base this
counsel upon the expressed fear that
+ II we possess force. We will lac in
1uced TO use II when We should not
This position ignores certain thit es
I which are essential to be maintained.
and is based upon certain assnmp~
tons which are not justified. 1t ig-
nores the responsibility which we have
| undertaken and which we must main
tain al any self-sacrifice 1t ignores
the fact that If nations which possess
force are likely TO use it when they
should not. some nation which has
such force is likely to use it against
us when II should not. II assumes
that our nation may not be trust ed
with force for fear that 1t may mis-
use It. 7 know of nothing which ,',s~
tifes such an indictment of our pdo<
pie ana our nation.
Blinded To Facts
The eyes of many are blinded to
facts and their minds closed to raa-
son by an adherence of what they
term "militarism,' without any actual
conception OF Just what this means
or how IL should affect the proper
consideration Of the subject. II by
militarism they mean the placing of
the military over the civil authority,
or il they mean that the ordin@ ry
processes of government shall in eny
way be subservient To military au-
tho1"ty or Influence, no argument il
needed 10 secure uuanimity of opin-
ion that this h. not only undesira Me,
but in this country impossible. If
they mean. however, that any reason
liable, sensible preeaution of a military
nature tx nilitarism. then they have
reached a conclusion without the aid
of clear vision or sound reasoning.
Those who really fear niltartsm,
or, more accurately stated. those who
dread real miitarism should be he
strongest advocates Of reasona ole
preparation. The latter is the PEE
yentive of miltarism. If they un-
wisely defeat reasonable preparedness,
they leave the country in condition
whore the inevitable result of defeat,
humiliation or acute appre hension will
be hasty and ill-advlsed provisions as
TO armament faT beyond anything
which calm reason and wi3e provision
would deem necessary.
4 There will be those who assert that
|, the proposed policy opposes the ira
ditons OF the people and runs counter
thereto. This is mere assertion: 1t is
not the fact and in truth. he fact Is
to the contrary. The proposed policy
IL exactly in keeping with our ira
ditions. Such traditions are for a
standing force, small in relation to
population, and a trained and equipped
force much larger in proportion there
to. but not constantly under arms.
This is exactly what the plan pro-
poses
There will also be those who will
express regret that the policy hereto
fore pursued. of lack of proper mill
tary precautions. Is to be departed
from because it has been invalua BILE
as an example to the rest Of the world,
and we should not remedy the lack
because We would then cease to be
such an example, IT should he oh
served first, III considering this point
tof view. that II entirely overooks the
vital and imperative duty To ourselves,
which requires that We should pro-
ltect and defend that which we cherish
and hold dear. Furthermore. ii overr
looks the fact that although we have
been just the example that they de-