The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-21

pnhiished IN yeur issue - %euuasy
liz. This writer atnonreix te1leves i
| Tiers was ever time In The h1stury
~ Sur great couufrT when theFe wal
! less need for further prsparednsss
through the incrsase q our army and
navy. that time v rtGh4 acw..
since the conclunipuv of the Revo-
iuttonsry War We have wagcd three
foreign wars fwar OF 1sfo, with Great
Hrtta1nt the Mexican war and tina
Spanish American war). IN all OF
these conflicts we were, I think. the
acxreeeors; that 81. we attacked oar
enemies first. No nation since thu
days OF our initial struggie with Eng
land has ventured 70 attack us, not
even when we we're wearing the
swaddiing clothes Of an infant re-
public. am inclined 10 think no
people will ever do 20, IL Il reason
able 20 suppose that ~ the conclusion
OF the fearful struggle now devastat-
Ing Europe any Of the beliigerent pow
ers Will have much stomach for
further fight or the resources of
men and means to carry 1t ons Ger
tsiniy these powers viii not wish to
cross three thousand miles OF blue
water TO begin the attack
Already far too large proportion
OF our national income is spent for
wars. past and present. As the read
! ers Of The virginian doubtless know,
20 per cent of our income now goes
to the army. navy, pensions and al
lied interests. Only 80 per cent re-
mains for the useful arts or peace
! Unless am mistaken. we are al
ready spending as much or our mill
tary establishment every year as the
~ an hare nyfnr
! to her entrance into the titanic strug-
gle. in which she Is now engaged
What insane folly to increase further
our expenditures in this direction. and
impose upon our people these great
additional burdens of taxation. II
there is a plethora Of gold in Uncle
SANS strengthen. why not expend
IL for the additional development Of
our agricultural resources. the build
ing OF national highways, the recla-
nation OF denuded forest tracts, the
! irrigation of arid regions. the destruc-
ton of tuberculosis. and q hundred
other projects. which suggest them
I selves Just how much anyhow do
| our friends of the muslSet and sabre
wish to spend7 Where is the thing
! going TO stop
The United States In this world
wide crisis would again act rs a pence
maker. Just how much effective.
ness will be added to her position by
the further increase of her army and
navy? VIII she not awaken the sus-
picion of the European powers, and
will they not continue to increase
their armies and navies TO keep pace
with ours? As has been well said
! by Lord Roseberry. the distinguished
English statesman IT know nothing
mora dish ca ri enfnr than the an
ronncement recently made that the
| left In the world free from the hide
Gus bloody burden Of war. 10 about
| To embark on the building Of huge
armada. destined to be equal OF sec
ond to our own. IT means that the
| burden Will continue on the other ma
! tons and be Increased exactly in pro.
portion to the fleet OF the United
| States. i confess that It In dis
heartening prospect that the United
! States 30 remote from the European
conflict, should voluntarily. In These
days, take up the burden which, af.
ter this war. will be found to have
broken. or almost broken, our backs
Bully for you. Mr.. Saunders! There
are thousands of patriotic virginiani
who think as you do, and when Mr.
Wilson'S policy Of preparedness
itmagic word to conjure by) goes be
fore Congress. unless this scribe Il
vastly mistaken. 1t will not havs sucl
smooth sailing as the munition max
srs. the army and navy officers, ant
some OF the ehrieking and hystsrics
1 militaristic newspapers and periodical
would have us believe.
j LEE. @, cRUrcHFrErD.
Dinwiddis Va, Tan. Is. 1919.