New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-26
A NEW AMERICANlSM
The Lesson for This Country in the
World War.
To tho Editor Of Tho Tribune.

To the Editor Of Tho Tribune.
Sir: General Wood has asked has even
begged for a larger and better equipped
army.
For n President who must preserve peace
under nil circumstances one could not pos
sibly think Of moro capable. patient ana
persevering man than President wilson, ou'
as n pilot during an international crisis ne IS
an absolute failure. do not think thht
Count Won Bernstorff will ever be the Secre-
tary Of State. even theoretically; but II
seems ms though this useless and wantoh
slaughter Of American citizens on the nlgn
seas by German and Austrian U-boats VIII
continue until March 4, 1917. The only thing
that the Teuton murderers will recognize Is
power. or a threat Of power with some aetuai
force behind IL.
The only way We can remedy these defects
10 by preparedness The sooner we learn that
millions for defence" is cheaper than "one
cent for tribute" the better The awakening
TO this fact when il is too late Will do us no
GOOD; deliberation is costly IL is recognized
and understood that had we been prepared IN
August. 1914. no Lusitania, Arabic, Hes
merriam. Persia. Ancona would have been SUNK
with their cargo Of precious lives.
As badly ms we need an adequate army, IL
10 inst as imperative that we have navy
ouite capable OF defending our shores; IN
fact Admiral Dewey says that 1t should be
SECOND TO none" Wilson In ten years might
build ten dreadnoughts, submarines, scout
and battle cruisers, etc; in fact, our Presi-
dent is Just about beginning TO think OF this'
But We need President who can give us
these ten dreadnoughts in two or three years,
man who can provide an army or 8Oo'ooo
or more. If necessary, without making
America an armed camp and saying that'
anyway We are "too proud TO fight.
Many people are Of the opinion that lheo-
dore Roosevelt as President in such a time
ss this. might prove disastrous experiment
that he is too quick to jump at conclusions,
and thus war might be inevitable But am
inclined TO believe that there would be one
crisis. and only one-we wouldn't have TO
worry about how many of these so-called
diplomatic victories" our State Department
might win II is true, oddly enough, That
many Of us have laughed at Colonel Roose-
Welt and what he has said and yet several
months or year later accepted these
same views az the only sound ones. Ills views
on preparedness and international relations
are sensible as well as practical. The coming
election should be in n large sense national
one. not party one. We have no special ap-
prehension concerning "unwritten laws as
to whether a man should accept third term
as President. II man can serve his country
well every time we should hold anxiety
rs to whether he is our Chief Magistrate
hundred times. Our next President, whether
he be Roosevelt, Hughes or another, should
be real strong man, who IS In accordance
with the ideas expounded by the Colonel,
man who can do deliberately and well what
has taken Wilson four years TO think of.
If this world war can accomplish nothing
more so far as are concerned, 1t ought
TO teach us lesson, and from that lesson
let there arise New Americanism" Of the
right sort.
| have disagreed with the policy OF The
Tribune many times. as is only natural. but
now | cannot do otherwise than agree, and
sincerely thank The Tribune for all Of its
intelligent editorials
J. EDWARD HUBBARD, JR.
New York, Jan. %, 1916.