The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-02-10
PREPAREDNESS is OUR NEED
Unless We Attend to This Lack, Major
Fish Shows Where Our Weak
ness May Be Taken Ad-
vantage OF.

Preparedness was the subject o.
a clear, concise, intelligent address
made Tuesday night before the Men =
club of st. Matthew IS parish by Maj
Irving A. Fish of the state militia OF
Milwaukee. Maj. Fish is a member OF
the firm Of Quarles, Spence and
Quarles. He has made a thorough
study Of his subject which he began
when pupil of the University OF
Wisconsin, back in 1908. Since that
time he has served constantly in the
militia until he has risen to his present
Office, and has spent much time in the
regular army as visitor and student
discussing with military experts al
sides of the military question.
In his talk Tuesday night he touch
ed upon nothing visionary. Every
suggestion showed him thoroughly con
versant with the subject and he treat
ed it from the practical side only.
To begin with he pointed out the
strategic weakness of the United
States, claiming that there are three
great weaknesses in this line as well as
the weakness Of its army and navy.
The three strategic weaknesses are
the situation on the west Washington
coast, on tne' california coast and on
the New England coast,
ga foreign army getting foothold
in West Washington or in California
could never be dislodged except by
an opposing sea force" the speaker
said, and gave as his reason that the
backing of mountains, impossible ex.
cept by railroad, would make natural
fertilization that could be easily held
by handful of soldiers, while it
would be next to impossible to marshal
forces across the mountainous districts
to attack it.
New England Easy Prey.
''The weakness on the Atlantic
coast " he said "does not arise
from danger of attack on New York
IS guns can be obtained that will pro.
tect New York itself, but under ex-
listing conditions it would not be pos
sible to protect the coast territory
north and south adequately and all the
time, so that it would be comparatively
easy for enemy forces to be landed
either above or below New York"
In showing how quickly an eff
fciehtly organized enemy could get 8
foothold in this country, he said that
in forty-fve days Germany could east
ly land 100000 men and 10000 horse
on the Atlantic coast, with the mum
tions and equipment necessary for at
tack So far as the Pacific situation
is concerned he proved by recital of
the facilities of Japan that in sixty
days time Japan could land $50, 00O
troops with necessary munitions and
provisions on our western coast.
In showing this country's utterly
unprepared state and its absolute
helplessness in the event of such an
attack from either the Germans or the
Japs or other foreign power with
malignant intentions toward the Unit,
cd States, he made this statement:
Best Is Well Nigh Worthless.
"Wisconsin has the best body OF
state militia of any state in this
country, yet it would require three
months to nine months to get the mer
into shape for actual warfare.
"There is no uniformity in the eff
ficiency of men as between states
Companies or bodies of men are of
fcered through election by the men il
some states; in others they are poll
tically appointed and the matter Of
fitness for their place is unconsidereG
usually. The greatest weakness of the
militia is in not being properly
differed"
Maj Fish took the position that the
soldier Of Europe today is a skilled
specialist, thoroughly trained in every
detail of his profession which i
soldiery. There is as much differenc,
between the soldier of the European
forces and even the bravest of anna
teur fighters equipped with the bes
of guns that there would be between
a surgeon who has devoted his life Il
learning his work of operating upol
the human body and the barber of Oh
who in addition to his other duties &C
casionally 'let blood" or applied
a leech.
All the old notions Of soldiers anc
warfare have been destroyed byszth,