The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-05-28
(By Clifford PInchot.)


question of national defense. Like
them, | am anxious to know the facts
and to use whatever common sense /
have in reaching wise conclusion as
TO what we ought to do for our own
protection. am not stampeded, and
! do not propose to be, but do want
the United States TO take what pre-
cautions are reasonable in view of the
facts. The situation looks to me like
this:
Certain pacitists assure us that
preparedness is useless because there
Is no danger OF war. Do they know,
or are they merely asking us to ac-
cept their guess in matter which vi
tally concerns the safety and welfare
OF the nation? Millions OF Dacfists
IN the past have given the same as
surance, and have been mistaken.
Wars have come in spite OF them. Eng
land was full Of people who affirmed
that the present war was impossible
up TO the very moment OF It's breaking
out and who opposed with all their
might any increase in armament until
war actually began.
The United States has already had
five wars. each one OF which was I'M
desired and unexpected by great num-
bers OF our people. For a year past
our state department has been occu-
pied with questions which might lead
TO war. What II our present pacifists
should in their turn prove to be
wrong. and war should come and find
us unprepared? 1t is serious chance
for any nation, this gamble on their
opinion, which the pacifists are ask
ing us to take
Preparedness Is insurance against
war. 1t Is not militarism, and must
not be confused with it. Militarism
is making ready for aggressive war.
Any one who believes that the peo-
pie of the United States can be driven
or dragged into aggressive militarism
must have forgotten the whole trend
OF our history, and in particular our
recent voluntary retirement from Gu
la.
II is nonsense to say that our peo-
pie will plunge into militarism be-
cause they prepare themselves in or
der to discourage aggression. On
that theory, no citizen should be al
lowed to own gun. because guns
can be used to kill people, or to in
sure his house, lest Insurance should
bring on fire.
Here and there an extremist will
make excessive and ridiculous pro-
posals for preparedness or against 1t.
Such proposals should not be permit
ted to upset our judgment. They lead
nowhere. We waste our time discuss.
ing them. For us the extremes of mil
itarism and of non-resistance are
equally out of the question. In sober
fact, our final choice will lie not be-
tween any fantastic extremes, but be-
tween reasonable national defense and
an imitation Of it that will fail in
the day of trial-between moderate
genuine preparedness and sham. We
may prepare too little, but there is
no danger whatever that this country
will rush to the other extreme.
The pacitists assure us that such
military training as the Swiss people
are giving themselves cndangers de-
mocracy, and that our young men
will be hurt by learning to obey. But
neither democracy nor personal indie
pendence have been injured in Swift
zerland, which is the most democratic
country of Europe. Universal mill
tary service in New Zealand and Aus
tralia goes hand in hand with the most
thorough-going labor-controlled de-
mocracy on earth.
France, whose military training Il
far more thorough than ours will eveI
be, is the living proof that an army
can be great democratic institutions
and that citizens trained to arms MAJ
possess the highest personal initiatives
and intelligence. Germany can noL
be offered as an example for what mil
itary training does to democracy. be-.
cause Germany never has been dem.
ocratic.
But even II all this were not true
it would still be idle to make DOGGY
of universal military service, because
even those who believe in 1t most
heartily understand that it has no.
the slightest chance OF being adopted.
No national leader in any political
party is asking for its adoption. II
is not an issue, and nothing less than
the pressure of actual invasion could
rake It an issue in the United States.
The American people have way OF
reaching common sense decisions at
ter long and often bitter discussion.
There is hope that this is about 10
happen in the present case. The rea
sonable advocates of national defens c
and the reasonable pacifists seem tc
be on the verge of reasonable agree.
ment of views. For example. the pa.
pers of April 90 report that Henry
Ford said, in an interview given In
New York: Il believe in reasonable
preparedness" and az wouldn't object
70 an army to say 100000 men," Less
than a week before this statement 81
Ford's, I asked Colonel Roosevelt
what he would consider reasonable
preparedness. He replied: Tho
second navy in the world and an army
Of 100000 men"
In this case. pacifist and advocate
o. preparedness are in agreement as
to the size of reasonable army. An
army Of 100000 men means one soldie;
TO about 430 people. There is one pc.
liceman for every 416 people in Phil
adelphia. and one 10 every 429 Peep le
II. New York. To me at least an army
ri that proportionate size carries with
Il no threat that militarism is about
70 overwhelm democracy.
AS to the navy, from 1905 to 1909
our navy was the second in the world.