Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-05-28
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS.

TO be added 10 the curriculum o. ne
Americas High school next year any
thing is wise and timely that tsnds 70
SHOW the importance Of this instrlc-
ton and the necessity for preparing
for war in times Of peace.
/ National preparedness or defence IS
q much uooted question and well thar
Il. is for never in the history Of this
|c5unrry has there been : time when
2 question Of 50 vital importance has
confronted the nation. or has 50 com
p-e.elT occupied the minds Of the
people. The question OF subject, as
you will is one that stands out clear
AID distinct and paramount to all
oilers in the mind and heart Of all
. tue Americans. almostto the ezclus-
ion Of all others. and well that It
should. for who knows at what time
and what place some foreign enemy
may attempt 10 invade our country
ard land upon our shores upon intent
Ct war.
That We are not prepared. goes
without the saying, hence it behooves
this great and glorious empire Of
ours to be up and doing, lest We be
caught unawares, and thus forced to
Jay the penalty Of our negligence and
! unpreparedness.
. We are unprepared in that our
army is too small and our navy made
qaate, our fighting vessels are too few
and their equipment insufficient. We
/. can muster the brayest soldiers the
sun ever shown upon, but this is not
/, CROUCH. We must have equipment
and arms with which to fight if We
would win and maintain OFT national
honor and integrity The United
states is wealthy country, and
since the beginning Of the European
, var her wealth has increased by
, leaps and bounds, until today she
/, stands in the forefront in wealth, re-
sources and national advantages. His
tory teaches US that almost all wars
, have originated or come from trade
rivalry, that history will not repeat
, itself we have no reason to disbelieve
1t is generally conceded by those who
, haye studied the situation and kept
in touch with affairs as between Ger
D many and England for the alst ten
> years that the present war is due
most largely to the intense trade riv-
= airy that has existed between these
= nations, each wanted to be mistress
I OF thesea and control the commerce
OF the world No intelligent American
can study the accumulation of gold
q in this country and the enormous in
! crease in our foreign trade and favor
S able trade balances without realizing
the tremendously serious competition
we are already giving and are earn
estly trying to increase against all
other manufacturing countries in the
world trading circles. Our people as
whole and our national government
are looking and pressing forward in
every way possible to expand our
world trade, and thus run in conflict
with other nations that now hold it.
That intense and serious jealousies
will result from the situation and
which might lead at any moment to
misunderstanding and consequent
var for us, just as has occurred to
other nations so often in the past, can
hardly be questioned.
The unsatisfed need of Germany and
Austria on the one hand and Japan on
the other for more territory for their
!, congested ann increasing populations
/, almost forces them to seek control OF
thinly populated areas-and this so far
as Germany is concerned will be
greater after the present war than
heretofore. Hence the danger of
complications with the United States
concerning the PHILIPPINES and the
, whole of Central and South America,
ard pOSSiblV orr own soil and eSDpc-