The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-09-21
Lessor, of the Hour

7 Under the heading The Lesson OF the Hour,
~ the Army and Navy Journal in its issue Of
Septepibtr4lpSbHshes the following able editorial
which, in view Of the proposed establishment Of
business mems camp in Honolulu, is worthy Of
deep ponderng by all citizens of these Islands who
have the interests OF the Nation at heart Says the
Journal: H.
Neither the officers of the regular army nor the
members of the national guard can be expected to
view with entire approval the proceedings at the
civilian camp at Plattsburg, to which the report
ers of the daily papers are doing their best to
give the character Of an opera boufe performance
Serious harm may result from the attempts Of the
reporters to make it appear that few weeks Of
military training can transform man of eminerce
in civil life into r.
4" = = A soldier fit to stand by Caesar ana give
direction" -
AS the gentlemen subjected to this training are
far too sensible to be misled by any such nonsense
it is possible that good may result from their
contact whistle army and study OF its ways
If they go forth from the camp to preach the evan
gel of preparation, to throw the weight OF their
influence in favor of military preparation such as
the defense Of the country calls for, much good
will follow their brief sojourn in camp, where they
may have had some view in the dim perspective
of the real nature Of the army life which
millions on European battefedS are experiencing
in full measure .ns auff
. as II not time that we gave heed to the lesson
OF those battlehelds that follow the advice the
Army and Navy journal has given from the begin
ming and learn for our defense the methods that
have proven so effective for aggression We should
have to repeat, what we have said over and over
again to demonstrate the criminal folly OF those
who contend that the way to avoid war is to leave
our beloved country open toathe aggression OF its
enemies to enemies possibly inferior as compared
with this country in the Poteptalites OF war prep
araton, but overmasterng us by tbeir wise efll7
ployment of the methods whichSfof thousands of
years have given dominance tosthe conquering
races of the world The question isynot one be-
tween peace and war; but whether we shall de-
termine for ourselves the ISSUE instead of having
it determined for us by some possible enemgSoat
such a time and under such conditions aSaNil
make our national humiliation certain and COM
plete. .,.t. '..
There is but one escape from this, and that is
the effective application of the principle OF uni
versal military training which was decided upon
by Washington and other soldiers of a Revolution
as the only security for republic. In careless
assurance of our isolation from the dangers that
assail foreign countries we have neglected the
teachings OF the I atherS, but we can 40 SO nc
longer if we would secure for those to follow Us
the great inheritance OF liberty the Fathers have
bequeathed to .&r..
The ever threatening danger OF this country
is not in militarsm, whatever that may be sup
posed to mean but in the systematic attempt tC
discredt the soldier and to belitte and maign thu
military profession, in ignorance or wilful disre
gard of the fact that the country owes its origin
it's establishment, its growth and its continued
existence to the men who have been found pre-
pared when the emergency required 10 defend on
liberties with their lives. When the foolish rea
soners and the windy takers have gotten us int
war it has been the fighting men who have helpet
us through the crisis and preserved to the maign
ers Of the Army their inestimable privilege of talk
The reward of the soldiers has been to find them
selves abused and lied about by those who hav
placed more reliance upon their false nterpreta
ton of the Biblical prophecies OF peace whic
gave comfort to their cowardy natures, than t
the real teachings of Him who came into tn
world, not to bring peace, but sword and who's
advent has been followed by eighteen centure
of war, eliminating in this twentieth century i
the fercest conflict the world has known and be
tween those who professed followers OF tn
same Lord and Master. The lesson of all this
blazoned in the heavens so that can ia
to see and none but the wilfully blind can fail t
understand"