The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-06-01
g,ck,NG THE DOOR TOO LATE


When a farmer owns a valuable
CODED horse he protects himself
5l. 0ss at the hands Of thieves by
.t.tns paddock on his barn door
The banker who cares for your
money locks it up in his great bur
lar proof safe at night.
When the merchant goes home at
er the days labor he leaves his
Goods under lock and key and bolts
and Lars.
Tho individual invariably takes
measures to protect his own.
But not so with us as nation. We
have accumulated vast stores of
wealth. but have neglected to pro-
vide the necessary means for the pro-
lection Of that wealth.
1t is true that after months OF in
difference congress has at last passed
a preparedness measure by providing
or the increase of the regular army
and the National Guard to a total of
about 100000 men. But it will be
several years before this force can be
gathered to gether and armed and
equipped and drilled and disciplined
and put in shape to meet an enemy
on equal terms. In the meantime
we are just about where we were be-
fore the bill passed--without a lock
to our door.
1t is not likely now that we will
have any more trouble with Euro
pean countries after the present war
is over. We sincerely hope not
But we are not so sanguine as to
The attitude of Japan, Our present
state of national helplessness has
forced congress and the administers
ton to bow to the demands of japan
and eliminate from an immigration
bill certain sections which were de-
signed to protect American iaboring
men from the cheap Japanese labor
,het has been flooding this country.
There was no help for it. 1t was
case OF bow or fight, and we are in
30 condition to fight.
II Japan would be content with
her victory all might even yet be
fairly we'll But it is doubtful if she
viii he content. The Japanese are &
warlike people, determinedIy bent
ilno2 securing equal rights on the
American continent.
And right here enters the present
clement OF danger to our peace and
security Of the future.
The MeXicans hate everything Am
nrican. They ere imbued with the
mistaken idea that we are people
who will not fight, and hence they
consider us beneath their contempt
1t is reasonably we'll known that
Mexican emissaries are in Japan
seeking the aid Of the Japanese peo-
pie in war against the United
States. Nothing would suit the jap
anese designs and purposes better
than such all alliance. 1t would at
ford them the coveted opportunity
and excuse for Selling the Phillip
pines, which they greatly desire.
great army could be landed on our
Pacific coast and we could not pre-
vent it. Another tremendous army
Of japanese could be landed in Mex
leo, and in cooperation with the
Mexicans could invade us across the
border at hundred different points
simultaneously. Our present mill
tary strength is SO ridiculously
small that we would be hopelessly
outnumbered and outclassed at every
point.
Press dispatches show every indi-
pecting just such an alliance with
the Japanese, and If the attack comes
at all it will not be delayed until we
have had two or three years in
which to collect and drill and army.
1t will come soon, while we are still
in a hopeless and helpless condition.
The American people are at last
awakening to a realization of the
peril of our national helplessness,
and congress is taking belated steps
toward defense for ouor homes and
our great wealth. But are we lock-
ing the door too late? Will the ma
rauder gain entrance before the pad
lock can be made?
A stick or dynamite is a childs
toy compared with the Mexico-Japan-
csc situation which confronts the
American government and people
today.
A single word from Toxic or Mex
leo City is of vital concern to us than
whole column from the European
front