Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-01
BEST THOUGHT IN AMERICA
DIGEST OF THE MAGAZINES


litia of the several States. The mobile branch
of the regular army contained in November
1914:
SO,4s1 men in the United States proper.
20,863 men In oversee garrisons.
81 ,344 regular army.
119,0S7 paper strength mobile ORGANIZED
militia.
170,431 total.
The United States has about 100, 900. 900 In
habitants, and is vastly endowed with great
military resources. There are about S000O0c
900 people in Asia; there are about 50,000DN
people in Europe and $50, 900, 900 in both the
Americas. All people think they have a
right to live and that their right is s.
perior to the right of others. 1t is the sarps
old story. The Panama Canal is the Key
point. The question whether a white or yeF
low civilization will predominant will be de-
cided in America. IT rests with the Amer.
lean people to determine what will be dons
under the circumstances.
Pork Barrels
OF course the next step, after deciding hoE
much additional defense we should have y
the getting and spending of further apprc
priations. This is usually very easy and
pleasant-for the spenders. Just how easy Is
described in al article in the North Amer
lean Review (3), by no less an authoriy
than George V. L. Meyer, former Secretay
of our Navy, under the significant title, "AIs
Naval Expenditures Wasted?"
The American navy during Is years has
cost 40 per cent. more than the Kaisers navy
Yet today Germany's navy is more powerful
than ours.
1t is interesting to analyze some of the ap-
preparations between 1895 and 1910. In 1880
a site was purchased in Frenchmans Bay
Maine, at a cost of S24, 650-far above the
assessed valuation-and later an additional
amount of $500, 900 was expended to Obtain
there an absolutely unnecessary coaling sta
ton, which has since been dismantled, as u
was practically unused.
At the Portsmouth Navy Yard, so called, Ia
Kittery, Maine, a dock was built at an ey.
peI.se of s1,122,S0O, and later it was found
necessary to blast way rock in the channa
in order to reach the dock at an additional
expense of $745, 800. Between 1895 and 1919
improvements, machinery and repairs and
maintenance in the yard amounted to SIS
yard within 70 miles. At Port Royal, Soul
Carolina, a dock was built at the ~insistena
of a Southern Senator, at a cost of $450,0lA
which proved useless, and although the orig
inal cost OF the site was but $4,000, 1t was mo-.
abandoned as a naval base until so, 275, 900 mao
been expended.
The United States has over twice as manY
frst-class navy yards as Great Britain, win
a navy more than double the size of ours
and more than three times as many as Ger
many, whose navy is larger than that of the
United States.
The fundamental cause of excessive er
penditures is due to the fact that approprta'
tons are not made with the sole view OF the
battle efficiency of the feet and it's militafy.
requirements, Politics and lOg-rolling, as !
have shown, have entered into the makinba
OF appropriations by Congress. That Ne
have not been getting proper return fqr
money expended In the navy Is not know
to the majority of our people, nor is II real
ized to what extent political influences hafe
misdirected the appropriations during me
past % years. The remedy will only coms
from absolute publicity.
These inside revelations by an ex-secretar3
of the Navy recall the closing story in AT
Young's whimsical Hanging Round the Naf
tional Capital" in the Metropolitan "a;
over in Smithsonian Park, Policeman
O'Connell was accosted by a stranger iron
the rural districts and asked II he could ten
him where the Government kept the porA
barrel.
Teaching the Young to Kill
president Schurman, OF Cornell, BELIEVES
every college should introduce military train
ing" is the very explicit title of an artiele
in Everybody's 90. President sehurnan
writes;
We must create a reserve volunteer army
1 am a Arm believer In the Intrinsic value Or
military training, even apart from its utlN9
to the public In time of war. If wars Wel4
banished from our planet / would retain mti-
tary training side by side with athletics 3,
an instrument Of physical education 10 our
universities; and not only for its phyaIeHI
advantages. great as they are, but also ~
It's moral, mental, social and civic effects -
reactions. 1 have long felt that this military
graduates receive at the University Of CofnsA
THE sNowDRoP
Many. many welcomes