The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-04

fhf sN' ~ WV Vi
- our largest and most influential
universities. writing tn me on the
sub,et. uf military training In our
schoo'. for boys. n aid. among other
,hinRa: ~ know boys, fine. manly. SON.
stive. tractabIe fellows. to whom the
e.,ter and display. the bang-whang and
ali that sort OF thing in military life 10
only absurd"
| Doubt not that ltutle more tina a
yesr ago the glitter and display, tho
h~arx-whang and all that sort CT thing
In military life" seemed quite as absurd
10 the average Englishnan. He war, ne
Thought, amply protected by encircpng
water, and his un~conaueIable feet. But
to-day the "bang-whang" in his every
day military life has been drowned out
nv tho deep. insistent tones OF the az
certimetre guns that for over n year
have dominated ell sounde throughout
the continent of Europe. and that com
bcuning across tho English Channel.
driving the Englishman to feverish mil
nary activity. To him the Dang
rNars of military life" Ia no longer
absurd. II has cume TO be a very I'M
portant factor in Enxland's future all
b~psise Of rhe narrowness OF the Eng
LIN Channel, the booming 42s beyond.
ard the dream ~ security into which
the Bnshshman had lulled himself.
The Atlantic Ocean 10 wider than the
rnxitsh Channel. but II Il wide enough
20 permit us TO scoff at the bang
vfarx and all that sort of thing In
MILITARY Hfe?' I appre hend not, IL we
may Judge from the eagerness with
xstrh We are o forming u Amer
lean legions, our security leagues. our
army leagues. our navy leagues and
other defensive organizations. n from
the agoniaed appeals to the Government
from former ~scoffers AT military exer-
else for naval and military preparedness
SUFFICIENT to back UP the dignihed
words which self-respect and common
decency compel us to use to the warning
nations abroad.
And where is tne self-sufficient profes-
sor who spoke so %flppantly of the gilt
ger and display, tho bang whang n all
that sort Of thing In military life"7 He
II probably either making frantic appeals
70 the nation for that military prepared
nes. which. IN the past, he. with his
academic, cocksure fiippancy. has helped
n prevent, or lie has Joined his destinies
With one OF those futile and misconceived
peace societies which hope TO fight all
battles with the tongue-their keenest
weapon.
II ts characteristic of our exuberant.
New World nature that. far removes
from the suspicious. hair trigger tempers
o, tho Old World, we should refuse TO
admit their existence or the dangers that
they e%ngender. It In also characteristic OF
our rankly growing. New World self
sufficiency that we should refuse TO ad-
NIT that the aGe-oId j~ealousies of Europe
could In any possible way drag us into
the swirl of their whirlpool of war. The
'hang-whang'' OF their military activi-
tea has, indeed. seemed absurd 10 us.
But times have changed. Temporal
mutantur, ct nos mutamur in Hills. We
are beginning TO sec as mover before
VIVA gigantic forces are bound up with
tho jealousy. suspicion, avarice and cruz
city OF human nature, and thai
when those forces are let loose
on the continent OF Europe the
Atlantic Ocean is nut a wider
English Channel. In anxiety, almost IN
panic. we are listening, dreadlng, and yet
expecting at any moment 10 hear the
angry tones OF those menacing as AS
they begin To- boom across the greater
channel. And how we are praying for,
and encouraging, that desplsed military
activity throughout our own land that
will promise at least something oil
national defence when those monster
projectiles begin 10 fall upon u shores
Military training. therefore. IL nc
longer a subject tabooed in polite and
educated circles. When we realize the
awful conditions OF peace loving people
in the Old World, people who did not
want TO fight. who a no quarrel with
any one, who had been assured by all
mo great Powers OF Europe that they
would not have to fight, and who. there
Tore, were not prepared TO hght-when
We realize. | say, the awful CONDITION oil
men, women and children In stricken
Belgium, and that their present condi-
ton 10 the result of their love of peace
and their determination to keep the
peace, we begin 10 lose confidence in that
state Of peace which Is s~afeguarded by
good intentions only. We now begin
&, realize our own defenceless condition
and how much greater than In the case
Of Belgium will be the disaster when
the United States OF America finds ftself
obstruc,ing the progress OF the IA
ing hordes OF tho world conduerorA
In that day how rich will be the
ptunder and how easy Will be the
gathering, How easy. unless we awake
20 the value of our heritage and to the
fearful need of haste in tho develop
nent OF power and efficiency in defence
or our place in the sum-" of our prop
erty. our civilization, our wives and
our children.
40 military training Is coming into its
swn ss the only kind of preparation that
viii enable us to stand and finch not in
that day OF our supreme trial. All can
ses our defenCeless condition as a ma
ton all can see the reed OF a trained
bpiy ~ citizen soldiers for our defence
ell but n few car zee that
much a force cannot be called into being
over night, our ex-Secretary OF State 10
the contrary Notwithstanding; but Just