The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-07-23
ron Al

In EGARDLEss OF ones party af-
Tx ftliatons. IL is Impossible FOR
anyone who read Rosevelts
address at the San Francisco exposi-
ton yesterday TO evade the fact that
the colonel has presented an old evil
in a new and very forceful way. He
has hit tho nail on the head with bis
comparison os Belgium and switzer-
land. offering equally cpsy routes to
the enemy's country. except that
switzerland had an efficient and
moderately large army. lie hit Il
again With his statement that China.
desiring the worst peace above the
best war. had received all the evils
Of the worst peace and the worst war
as well. He hit the same nail square
ly M drove II home with the state
ment that the United states should
hale a better military system. Not
everyone. or ever a majority, we feel,
will agree with his plan tor compui-
sory military service. especially with
an efficient remedy nearer at hand.
Though all viii agree that we need
an efficient army and navy. Ameri-
leans do not take kindly to anything
compulsory. II IN in this difference
OF opinion over what makes an ef-
hcient army and navy thai the trout
bic lies.
The salient points in Colonel
Ro%osevelt's address are as follows:
II hrmly believe that there should
be universal military service for our
young men or the Swiss model. In
Switzerland the boys are trained for
their last few years la the public
schools and after they graduate from
the public schools they serve with the
army for four or six months and
then for eight or ten days every year
for the mex ten years. This training
and service, so far from hamporing
the Swiss or switzerland industrially,
has added enormously 10 the indus
trial efficiency both OF the individ-
nais and OF the nation. and to their
social efficiency also.
1--WE have been %culpnbly. well-nigh
criminnliy. remiss as a nation In not
preparing ourselves and II, with the
lessons taught the world by the
dreadful tragedies Of the last twelve
months. we continue with soft com
piaceney TO stand helpless and naked
before the world. we shall excite only
contempt AMI derision n and when
disaster ultimately oyerwhelms us.
preparedness against war does
not invariably avert wds. any more
than a fire department in a city will
Invariably avert a fire: and there are
weil-meaning foolish people who
point out This fact as offering an ex-
euse for unproparcdness. II would
be just as sensible ~ after the CHI
'eago fire Chicago had announced that
81 would abolish its fire department
as for our people 90 take the same
view az regards military prepared
ness. Some years ago ] was looking
over some very old newspapers con
iemporanoous with the early estab-
lishmont of paid fire departments IN
this country and 10 my amusement !
came across "a letter which argued
against IA paid fire department upon
the ground hat the knowledge Of its
existence would tend TO make house
holders careless and Therefore would
encourage fires.
Greece was not prepared for war
when she went 90 war with Turkey
a score of years aso. ~ this fact
ala not stop The war II merely made
the war unsuccessful; for Greece.
China was not prepared for war with
japan twenty odd years ago, nor Tor
war with the allies who marched %
Picking fifteen years ago.
"But the o]learest teaching is con
.yeyed in the experience OF China and
or Belgium during the last year. As
regards Belgium the comparison
should be made between il n swift
.erland. The territory u Switzerland
like the territory OF Belgium lay be-
tween the great combntants. one
offered as advantageous a path Of
entry to those combatants as the
other. a c%entury ago, for Instance,