Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-10
j. S. MAY FACE SOME FORM
OF COMPULSORY SERVICE
Garrison Points to This as Only Rem.
cdy IL Continental Army
Plan Fails.
ANNUAL REPORT TO PRESIDENT
Passes Quickly Over Routine ACTIVE
itics of War Department and De-
votes Practically All His Words to
Subject of Military Preparedness.

votes Practically All His Words to
Subject of Military Preparedness.
WASHINGTON, December o.-Sccre-
tary Garrison declares in his annual
report 10 the President made public
.o-hEht. that If the administration
pan Tor u continental army fails, the
United states will face some form of
compulsory military service.
IN what many men in official life
characterize as the most remarkable
report ever made by II Secretary or
war, MIR. Garrison passes quickly over
INC widespread routine activities OF the
war Department and dcvo.es practi-
caiiy all his words to the subject of
military preparedness, the need for
which he sums up by saying:
So long as right and wrong exist
In tho world there will be an inevitable
conhict between them. The ncirhbors
must be prepared to protect and de-
iend the right as against tho wrong"
Cnsparing in his arguments in an
swer to those who would have no in.
crease In the country's military pre-
paredncss. Secretary Garrison declares
that the American people must view
their responsibilities ana measure NO
to them. ana then goes on 70 take up
the various arguments OF the opposi-
ton separately.
There arc some who do not feel
free TO base their conduct upon a con
siucTdt!on OF !dctS or conclusions of
reason, because of their Interpretation
OF Divine Injunction" he SAYS They
10 not believe in resistance to Dhvgi-
cal force; and those whose conscicnccs
are so convinced surrender III. and All
mat they cherish and love nj the be-
hest OF the aggrcssor. This attitude
concerns tho individual and him alone
II cannot bc made tho general rule
or conduct under our form " govern
Ment without departing from the basis
upon which our government Is founded
One is impcllcd TO query upon what
proper consideration there Is based any
distinction between the right OF ncres-
sity or dcs!rabilit% Of using mental
force TO rcprl error. moral force 20
rcpcl evil and physical force to rcpel
wrong. II would seem, If reason were
applied. that In each instance :hc situa.
ton is identical and that II we should
properly prepare our minds 10 he
strong so that wc can reject error. ana
our moral characters To hc strong 50
that NO can reject evil VIC should like
wise make our physical force strong
IN order that We may maintain the
RICH. as against those who would
physically impose the wrong upcn us.
ATTITUDE Not BASED
on VISION OR REASON
There arc others concerning whose
clarity OF vision we are not advised
end concerning whose soundncss Of rca-
Rttitudc which they take IS admittedly
got based upon either vision or reason.
There are those who predict that war
VIII never come 70 this country, and
assert that therefore precautions with
respect thereto are unw!Se and need
less. Since wars have come upon ma
tons from the earliest date OF recorded
history 10 this moment, there is no
basis OF fact for such a position, but
tho actual demonstration Of the nom
fF mol, acf.
warned that there would II" vars and
rumors OF wars. aud that nation would
rise against nation and Kingdom
against kingdom, and the end was not
yet; and that prediction has been fully
verified. There IL no basis and no
foundation 10 conclude that this great
evil has been eliminated, and II there
fore must be treated as are all other
existing evils and must hc prepared
against surely, as between resting
upon prediction or upon preparation
wisdom would not hesitate
There others among us who
arc too intelligent and clcar-sichted
not To see the facts and TO realize their
significance, but who counsel inaction
because they mistrust themselves and
the nation Those to whom I nov re-
fer do not believe in the doctrine OF
PERSISTENCE; they do not rest upon
the prediction that an evil which has
existed since the world began has
ceased 10 exist and been abolished ana
should not, therefore. he considered ~
one 10 be prepared against: they even
point out our potentiality OF force. but
they counsel against any preparation
thereof. They base this counsel upon
the expressed fear that Il we possess
force. we will be induced 10 use Il when
wc should not. This position ignores
the responsibilities which we have
undertaken and which We must main
the fact that II nations which possess
force are likely TO use il when they
should not. some nation which has such
force is likely To use Il against us
when II should not. 1t assumes that
our nation may not he trusted with
force for fear that il may misuse il.
REASONABLE PREPARATION
VRENENTINE OF MILIrARISM
The eyes OF many arc blinded to
fact ana their minds closed to reason
by An adherence OF what they term
'militarisn.' without any actual CON
ccptlon Of just what this means or how
II should affect the proper considera-
ton OF the subject. Those who really
fear miiitarism, or, more accurately
stated, those who dread real militarism.
should be the strongest advocates of
reasonable preparation. The latter is
the preventive of militarsm. If they
unwisely defeat reasonable prepared
ness they leave the country in Il con-
dition where the inevitable result of
defeat, humiliation or acute apprehen-
sion will be hasty and ill-advised pro-
visions as to armament far beyond any
thing which calm reason and wise
provision would deem necessary.
There will be those who assert that
the proposed policy opposes the ira
Atm yNyYoAYr1OC H1n