The Alaska daily empire., 1916-02-28


 srhe Presidents preparedness program is
 revolut.onary-lt Is an abandonment of the his
 torlc policy of his party and the traditions or
 the country He has departed from the saie
 path of experience and Is following the devious
 ways pointed out by the big papers which voice
 the wishes of the manufacturers Of munitions
 He is joy-ridng with tho jingoes and IS ap-
 nlan5ed bv rrant-standers whose voices are un
 familiar to Democratic ears He is being praised
 by mgitarists who seldom. if ever. vote the tick
 ct os his party and he is grieving those to
 whom Democracy is religion.
 Mir Bryan Is mistaken. There is nothing in the Presidents preparedness plans that is inconsistent with the historic policy of his party" the traditions Of the country" The United States has always had an army and navy and various States have always had militia which has been a part of the national defense. Many times. as the country has grown and her Inter ests commercial and otherwise have expanded the ar my and navy and the militia have been increased and made mere effective This has been done under Demo cratic administrations and others. The President has decided that another period for increase and greater efficiency has arrived He has made proposal that would make the United States miiaristc than she has been in the past He does not propose compulsory mill ,arv service nor any Of the other extremes of mitar ism
 The United States has grown greatly during the IS OF r years that have elapsed since the regular army was increased from 25oOO to 100000 and her com merce has been extended immensely. The President believes ,ha the time has come when the regular army should be increased agan-from 100000 to 1S7OOO He also believes that the second line of defense" con- sisting of nearly S0OOO0 National Guardsmen should be iucreased-doubled. perhaps. or little more-and should be better organized.
 The President also holds that the New Navy"-star ed by the way during the first Cleveland administra ,ion-should be increased. during the next five years faster than it has been added in the immediate past
 There is no reversal of principles in this Military reorganization has often occurred in the United States and both parties have participated in the reorganza uons We have also been adding to our navy for third of century-and both parties have participated in the additions We stin have in navy the battle ships Indiana Iowa. Massachusetts and Oregon. the cruisers Brooklyn Minneapolis and Olympia and the gunboats castine Helena and Wilmington that were au thorized when AIr Bryan was Q member Of Congress
 The fact is that the historic policy" of the Demo cratic party and the traditions of the country sustain policy of efficiency in army and navy. The policy has not always been effectively carried out perhaps but 1t always has been proclaimed.
 The arguments that Mfr Bryan is using against the Presidents plans could be used with greater logic in support Of proposal to abandon the historic policy of his party and the traditions of the country Their logical consequences would be the dsbandment of the army and the dismanting of the navy and that would not be in accord with Democratic Republican Amer ican policy or tradition