The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-07-03

Just about enough ammunition
on hand for one engagement.
What about our coast def
tense? Can YOU name single
harbor on our Atlantic coast
that is better defended thar
Manila or Santiago was in 1893
Remember, Manila harbor hat
natural protection. OF course
mines could be quickly laid, but
the mines we haven't got a
present. There are plenty O
mines in the Dardneelles anc
the Allies simply sweeps then
out of their way. We hav,
! hundreds of miles of sea coas
that has practically no defens,
whatever.
The writer says Eve hav,
more money, more men, more
food, more iron, more coal
more timber. more factories ant
more cotton than Germany
Well. what of it? We have
more men, but man is not q
soldier until he is drilled. Ant
it takes an average of three
months to make a soldier. The
little army we have at present
would. perhaps, furnish officers
for an army of modern size. The
army itself would be composed
of raw-recruits. In the case OF
invasion we can have the pleas
ure of seeing the flower of the
land moved down by seasoned
soldiers, skilled in the arts OF
war.
And what shall we arm our
boys with? We have so many
weapons you know. Money,
food, iron. timber, coal and cot
ton. Shall they sling bags OF
money at the enemy, or shall
they hit them over the heads
with a soup bone? Perhaps
chunks OF coal or clubs taken
from our forests" would be
better. OF course, modern guns
are out of the question and so is
ammunition. The whole output
has been shipped to Europe
and it would take months to
produce an adequate supply for
ourselves. Secretary Garrison
and the army experts have been
telling us these things for
months but we are deaf.
History" teaches us that the
only effective branch of the
army is the artillery. The dash
ing raids of Calvary are ended
The infantry digs in" under the
banks and stays there most OF
the time A short time ago
Germany withdrew large part
! of her best troops from the west
to stem the tide of the Russians
In the place of these were left
a small force of raw recruits
But she did leave an extra
amount of artillery and this has
been effective in holding back
the French and English. These
are object lessons. What about
our own artillerv7 Cannons
cannot be made in a minute
Why are the Russians on the re
treat? They are brave fighters
but they lack the weapons.
The war in Europe is wal
of conquest and there canno
be peace until the War Lord o
Germany is out of job. Goo
will never permit one man t.
rule the world. This is a wa
between liberty and humanit,
against blind militarism and tn,
only way to peace is through
war. Germany had her plan
all prepared while the allie
were cauht mapping. This i
the lesson we should take t.
heart.
| The United States is the onl,
great power not involved and
Germany succeeds in crushin,
the Allies. she will turn her at
tention to us next. Our wealtl
and our weakness will both in
vite her. Should she succee,
again, the conquest of the worl
would be easy. If that tim
ever comes, we must fight alone
1t is all bosh to talk about a.
invasion as long as the war i
Europe continues, for German
is too busy. | doubt we shal
ever be really invaded, for Ger
many can find easier method:
| am not an alarmist, but al
only trying to point out the pos
sibilities. Invasion is not tn
real question.
The blood of the murdere
masses in Belgium cry out to II
from the ground. We feed tn
living, but we do not offer t
lift the iron heel that is crushin
them and the dead go unrt
venged.
J Germany seeks friendship {