Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1916-01-30
AMERICA is
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Continued from Page TWO
traordinary eXaggerations both of the
military weakness and the military
strength of this country. Some men
tell you that we have no means of de-
Tense and others tell you that we have
sufficient means of defense, and neither
statement is true.
Take for example, the matter of our
coast defenses. 1t is obvious to every
man that they are of the most vital
Importance to the country. Such coast
defenses as we have are strong and
admirable, but we have not got coast
defenses in enough places. Their quail
ity is admirable but their quantity is
insufficient. The military authorities
of this country have not been negli-
gent; they have sought adequate APP
preparations from congress and in most
instances have obtained them so far
as we saw the work in hand that it
was necessary to do. And the work
that they have done in the use of these
appropriations has been admirable and
Skilful work. Do not let anybody de-
ceive you into supposing that the army
of the United States, so far as it has
had opportunity is any degree I'M
worthy of your confidence.
And the navy of the United States
You have been told that it is the sec
Ond largest in the world. ] am sorry
to say that experts do not agree with
those who tell you that Recording
by its actual strength | believe it to he
one of the most efficient navies in the
world; but its strength ranks fourth in
number. And you must reckon with
the fact that it is necessary that that
should be our first arm of defense, and
you ought to insist that everything
should be done that it is possible for
us to do to bring the navy UP to an
adequate standard of strength and eff
ficienCy.
Where we are lacking more perhaps
is on land and in the number of men
who are ready to fight Not the num-
Der of fighting men but the number of
men who are ready to fight Some
men are born troublesome, some men
have trouble thrust upon them, and
other men acquire trouble.
Il think belong to the second class.
But the characteristic desire of Amer
lea is not that she should have great
body of men whose chief business is
to fight but a great body of men who
know how to fight and are ready to
fight when anything that is dear to
the nation is threatened. You might
have what we have, millions of men
who had never handled arms of war,
who are mere material for shot and
powder If you put them in the field,
and America should be ashamed of
the, inetficacy of calling such men to
defend the nation.
What we want is to associate in
training with the army of the United
states men who will volunteer fer a
sufficient length of time every year to
get the rudimentary acquaintance with
arms, the documentary skill in handling
them, the rudimentary acquaintance
with camp life, the rudimentary ac-
quaintance with military drill and dis
cipline, and we ought to see to it that
we have men of that sort in sufficient
numbers to constitute an initial army
when we need an army for the defense
of the country.
Il have heard it stated that there
are probably several million men in this
country who have received a suffi-
clent amount of military drill either
mere or in the countries in which they
were born and from which they have
come to us. Perhaps there are; nobody
knows, because there is no means of
counting them, but if there are so many
they are not obliged to come at our
call. We do not know who they are
That is not military preparation. Mil
ltary preparation consists in the eX-
lstence of such a body of men known
to the federal authorities.
We have no such body of men in
the United States except our national
guard No; ] have a very great re-
Spect for the National Guard. | have
been associated with one section of
that guard in one of the great states
of the union and | know the character
of the officers and the quality of men.
and L would trust that both for skill
and efficiency; but the whole National
Guard of the United States falls short
OF 10000 men. 1t is characterized by
a very great variety of discipline and
efficiency as between state and state
and 1t is by the constitution itself put
under the authority of more than two
score state executives.
THE president of the United States
has not the right to call on those men
except in the case of actual invasion.
AND, therefore, no matter how skilful
they are. no matter how ready they
are, they are not the Instruments for
immediate national use
Il believe that the congress of the
United States ought to do and that it
Will do great deal more for the Ma
uonal Guard than it ever has done:
ana everything ought to be done to
make 1t model military arm, but that
is not the arm that we are immediately
interested in. We are interested in
Knowing that there are men all over
the United States. prepared, equipped
ana ready to go out at the call of the
national government upon the shortest
possible notice. You will ask me. why
do you say the shortest possible notice >
Because, gentlemen, let ne tell you
very solemnly you can't afford to
postpone this thing. | do not know
what single day may bring forth.
L do not wish to leave you with the
impression that am thinking of some
particular danger | merely want to
leave Won with this Sn1apnD