Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-09-23

does not that powerful navy clear the
North sea Of German submarines Why
is that magnificent navy in hjding2
There is no danger OF any war with
any European nation 1000 miles away
Every nation engaged IN this criminal
war will be financially bankrupt when
the war ends and the best young men
her soldiers will be sleeping in the
battlefield cemeteries or in the depths
Of the ocean
To say that any European nation,
exhausted in men and money and mus
nitions and credit, is going To make
war on friendly neutral nation like
the United States. is unbeHeva BILE
The principal fear among the timid
American on this side Of the Atlantic
is that the kaiser will not stop after
he has slaughtered the armies of Eng
land, France Russia, Belgium and
Serbia and that he will cross the 5000
miles Of ocean and attack the United
States.
do not share in the belief that
Germany is looking for more worlds
TO conquer and desires TO dominate
the western hemisphere,
If Germany is. the kaisers best
move would be to attack Brazil Bra
iii has 3.2I8,130 square miles of terri
tory, about 100000 more than the
United States. She has only $4,000
600 people, or eight TO the square
mile The United States has SO to the
square mile.
Brazil has an army of only 29T0o
men, with a coast line Of over 4,000
miles. It is practically virgin land
rich in mineral wealth and agricul-
turat resources, and totally unpre-
pared TO resist either Germany's army
or navy.
Hence it is apparent that if it is
the kaiser's desire to dominate the
western hemisphere. his first move
would be TO g0bble Brazil
! hear of no war-crazed agitat0rs
down in Brazil or in the Argentine
republic, olamoring for a big military
establishment. They appear to be as
sane as we were after the war OF 1872,
or the great Civil war, when General
Grant reduced oar regular army TO
$4,000 men.
The great scholar, humanitarian
student Of civic virtue, David Starr
Jordan voices the best patriotic SEN
timent of today in the following:
The leaders Of these armies and
navies find in their dreams a world
where soldiery is not play, but action
We listen to them and we open cur
treasures at their behest, because
their art is one we do not under
stand. Everywhere the peoples mon
ey is spent as money was never. spent
before on the great Illusion that Of
ideal defense imaginary dangers.
What shall we say of the moral
effect Of these garris0ns on our. coast
cities and Of our coast cities upon
them? However well disposed and
we'll controlled, every idle garrison Of
idle men the world over is a standing
menace TO virtue, a standing target to
vice.
The secretary of war speaks Of our
40 army posts as 'adjoined by dives
and resorts OF the vilest character
Il IS these conditions, he believes. +
which make the record Of the army in
this respect shameful beyond that Of ]
the army Of any other civilized ma
ton
Here is a most shameful confess
sion Of the secretary Of war that
great standing army means also ply
steal degeneracy and moral decay
Let every patriotic man and woman I
ponder well the sentiment Of David T.
Starr Jordan. This is the sentiment
OF every true Christian and If we are
a Christian nation. it should be the
national voice.
When the present conflict in Eur
ope ends, every nation engaged there /
in will be bankrupt and the very flow /
er Of the warning kingdoms viii he /
resting in battle cemeteries. Would /
any Of these impoverished nations care
to cross 5000 miles of ocean to tight
u.s. Il so, how and what for2 No in
telligent American can give one valid I
reason why this would happen.