Evening journal., 1916-08-01

escaped by the condemnation of
others.
Preparedness.
We are a peace-loving people, /
but we live in a world Of |
arms We have no thought |
OF aggression. and we desire TO
pursue our democratic ideals without
the wastes Of strife. So devoted are
we TO these ideals, so intent upon our
normal development, that do not be-
lieve that there is the slightest dan
ger OF militarism in the country. AIDE |
quate preparedness is not militar-
ism II is the essential assurance OF
security; it is a necessary safeguard
Of peace.
It is apparent that we are shock
ingly unprepared. There Is no room
for controversy on this point since the
object lesson on the Mexican border.
All our available regular troops Oess.
] believe. than 100000 are there or
in Mexico. and as these have been
deemed insufficient the entire Ma
tional Guard has been ordered out;
that Is. we are summoning practi-
cally all our movable military forces
sions In view of the warnings Of
the past three years. n Is inexcus-
able that we should find ourselves in
this plight. For our faithful guards
men, who with a fine patriotism re-
sponded TO this call and are bearing
this burden. 7 have nothing but
praise. But I think II little short
OF absurd that we should be COM
al oh
their factories their Offices and their
professions for such purpose. This,
however, is not all. The units OF the
National Guard we're at peace
strength. which was only about one
half the required strength. IL was
necessary TO bring in recruits, for
the most part raw and unframed.
only small percentage Of the regi-
ments recruited up to war strength
will have had even a years training
in the National Guard, which at the
maximum means one hundred hours
Of military drill and. on the average,
means much less. Take the Eastern
Department as an illustration. The
States in this Department contain
about 70 per cent OF the entire or
/ ganized militia Of the country. I am
informed by competent authority.
that the quota Of militia from this
department, recently summoned with
/ the units raised to war strength as
required would amount to about l31,-
| 600 men; that I'm response TO this
call there are now en- route to or on
the border about $4,000 men, and In
/ camp in their respective States about
$4,000 men; and thus, after what has
already been accomplished. there
still remain to be supplied In recruits
about $4,000 men. Men fresh from
| their peaceful employments and ply
| sically unprepared have been hurried
10 the border for actual service
They were without proper equip
ment; without necessary supplies
suitable conditions of transportation
were not provided Men with de-
pendent families were sent; and con.
ditions which should have been vel
known we're discovered after tho
event. And yet the exigency, com
paratively speaking. was not a yer.
grave one. IL involved nothing tina
could not readily have been fore.
seen during the past three years o.
disturbance, and required only
modest talent for organization. Tha
this administration while pursulnl
its course in Mexico should have per
mitted such conditions TO exist is al
, most Incredible.
/ In the demand for reasonable pre-
, paredness the administration has fol
: lowed, not led. Those who demand
ed more adequate forces were frs
described as nervous and excited.
! Only about a year and a half ag'
we were told that the question Of pre-
, paredness was not a pressing one
that the country had been misin
formed. Later. under the pressur
Of other leadership this attitude wa
changed The administration. II wa
said, had learned something" an
Il made a belated demand for an in
creased army. Even then, the de
mand was not prosecuted consistent
, and the pressure exerted on Congress
4 with respect TO other administrative
7 measures was notably absent. Tn
;, president addressed Congress but III
= tie over six months ago. Sresentin
= the plans OF the War Department. an
e Congress was formally urged 20 sane
1 ton these plans as the essential frs
h steps" They contemplated an in
O crease of the standing force OF tn
/ ! regular army from its then strengt
- Of 5.O2s officers and io2.sS5 enliste
S men, to a strength OF 7,1S6 officer
Il and 134.707 enlisted men. or i41,s4
i all told. II was said that these .ac
e diuons we're necessary to hender III