New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-08
PREPAREDNESS
Our Military and Naval Require
mentS in a Nutshell.

THE ARC OF NATIONAL DEFENCE What The
no and NAw Would hass o. d. 10 War. Why
Trey Would dave 90 DO It. and What lhe{ Nrei
Tor Su..rs,.ul Performance Hy }. ". Muurf.
l2uo. ID as. T. =. Dutton Co
The recent literature OF national de
fence IS voluminous. as II may well be.
4 he importance Of the subject IL so
transcendent that if il can be brought
rome 10 the public mind by no otner
means than the writing Of many books,
by all means let books be multiplied.
We, at any rate, shall not condemn
much study of these things a WEAKNESS
Of the flesh, or of the spirit, either.
Among them all, however. though
there are many worthy OF commcnda-
ton, there is none better entitled %
favorable regard than TINS httle hand
cook. in which the author has put
within half the compass OF best
selling" novel a yerltable encyclopaedia
of army and navy conditions, response
Dilities and needs IL te.s, wish d.
rectncss and precision, and with con-
yinclng authority, just what every in
terestcd citizen wants TO know about
these things. l. tells what the army
and navy would have to do in case OF
war to afford adequate protection TO
the country. Il shows their present in
suihcicncy for such q task. IL points
out what needs 10 be done to make
them sufficient for it, And II does all
thls without a word of buster or
"jingoism,7 but with the calm earnest
ness of a man who realizes that the
matter is far too important for mere
sound and fury.
Especially commendable is the chap
ter on the need Of a symmetrical fleet.
with its reminder Of what lots OF US
knew but what IL has not been pleas
ant or popular TO talk abOut-to wit,
the narrow escape which he had from
a most humiliating naval hascO IN the
Spanish war; the chapters on the need
Of better naval organization, the evils
OF Congressional meddling in military
matters and the incubus of army posts,
and the exposition Of the imperative
need Of great reserve army. But. in
deed. il seems almost inyidioUs 20 name
these. since all the rest OF the book Is
so thoroughly admirable. There IS not
a rational question on any phase OF the
subject that is not answered. and there
is not an Indictment to patriotic duty
that Is not provided.
We could wish the volume to be in
the hands and its contents in the mind
and heart Of every American citizen.
If they were there would be no Access
SION OF "mllltarlSin. But there would
be realization of the true philosophy
OF national defence and a complete
discarding Of the barbarous and stupid
old notion which Jefferson and Clay
and others nut forward SO dsastrousiv
. in 1872 that patriotism is equivalent
10 preparedness, and that all that would
be needed in case of war would be for
the Pres dent to call az sunrise for a
million men, assured that he would
have them before sunset. There would
be appreciation of the truth of Light
Horse Harry" Lees belief that "a gov
eminent is the murderer of its citizens
which sends them to the field unin-
formed and untaught. whore they are
TO meet men Of the same age and
strength mechanicized by education
and discipline for battle" and Of the
consequent need Of preparation which
would obviate the danger of much muir
der.
10 was n fine public service 20 write
this book, and 1t is a welcome and a
pleasing privilege TO commend IL TO all
/ who are open TO the conviction that
weakness is not synonymous with
virtue. and that helplossness IL not an
essential prerequisite Of peace.