Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-06-22
MUCH TO DEITiND--LITTLE TO
DEFEND m WITH.

The United states Of America ma
tlonally expresses the ideals OF the
people who compose this government
---a government Of the people, BY the
people, and for the people, such as
never before existed upon the earth.
Baker. In his preface to Monies
auieu's Considerations on the Causes
OF the Grandeur and Decadence OF
the Romans" says;
CAS- regards the worlds main
stream OF civilization. II may be said
with substantial truth, on the one
hand, that all Roman history
meets IN the Roman republic and en-
pire---as many tributaries In one grand
irunk~~-and on the other, that upon
The dissolution of this great body, the
powerful Influence of IFS spirit sur.
vlvlng the loss Of its form. has pene-
trnted to the limits Of modern civiliza'
ton" Nv%
What Is undoubtedly true of Rome
in tho worlds civilization is true OF
tho great American republic In its
relation to popular government. Into
he web OF our constitutional liberty
has been woven every thread Of free
government spun IN the past, and In
some measure our mighty fabric is
patterned In the governments OF every
civilized country In the void. We
are performing the double office Of
receiving from the past and distribute
Ing to the future all that is best In i'm
0iyidual liberty and collective free
dom.
Although only ti0 years old we
have conscious life Of our own, and
traditions ana principles. sentiments
ana passions, Rreat memories and
dear hopes. cherished heroes and
splendid prides, which must be pre-
served at whatever cost Also MS n
temptation TO the predatory powers
We have more than one-third OF the |
entire wealth Of the world and that !
wealth is unprotected except by an in
adequate navy and an ARMY SO small !
as TO be negligible against any second !
rate power which might decide to at
tack us.
The army Is as competent as any |
such body can be- perhaps more COM
pctent than the army Great Britain |
flung into France the first month OF
the war,---to have its competence !
completely swallowed up In the inn
menso hosts on both sides.
The regular army IS out of date
1t no longer serves TO protect the In
forests of any great nation, and as n /
nucleus for the organization OF volun- I
teers Il Is inadequate. In the Euro t
pean war the British regular army |
had been destroyed before volunteers
could enlist aud be trained, The work !
of making soldiers Of British volun-
teers ana conscrlpts Is not completed |
and Will not be before the autumn, /
although the work has been going on
for nearly two years
our army is an efficient instrument
for the pacification Of the Philippines /
end for the settlement OF labor trou-
hles. as In the coal fields Of Colorado;
but It will not suffice to defend us
ttOfl AtldtN tktli NlltH IL mus itS ll'f
imum strength, as provided in the new
army bill, of 100000. Nor will It ar
fora us first line of defense behind
which huge volunteer force can be
organized.
our army, in conflict with any
great twentieth century power, would
be az obsolete as a cap-lock musket
would be ms a weapon against an en-
envy armed with modern rifles and
machine guns. As Il matter Of fact,
Il does not even pertain to the TWEEN
teth century. but belongs TO the
eighteenth century
Since the civil war. the regular ,
army has served the special needs
that have arisen. To be sure, IL was ]
FAR from adequate Tor the little war I
We had with Spain, and certainly
would not deter any great power from !
attacking us.
We have much TO defend and the '
iuty OF defense is up to every able O
,odied American Of sound mind. Fur b
hermore II should not be a matter &
II choice with him. but should be "A 3
i1ty exacted by the majority Of the e
,eoplc who have the inherent right c
o rule the nation. a