Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-23


- BILE 1t could have beer
avoided, but on one con
dition-if England hat
been prepared" This de
ductiop. drawn straight from an unas'
eailable body of fact and circumstance
forms the basis of Mr.. OlVers u'scus'
sion From this starting point Tx
works back to the causes or England :
unprepa redness for war. He discioses
fhe immediate effect of this unreaoi-
ness upon the European situation. ne
points its ultimate effect upon the ma
tionaI fiber of England itself. Taking
the ground that the prime essential oi
every nation is security against out
side aggression, in order that It's eco
pomic and social existence may deHei-
CD free from the fear of molesta-
tion, the writer holds that 1t is the
duty and should be the desire OF every
individual in that nation to contribute
actively to that security. That Eng
land is unready for war is due 10 tne
fact that the individual conscience is
asleep, and that, in turn, is que 10 ,he
DELINQUENCY of the leaders or thought
TO the government and the politiclans.
These leaders, trimming TO the capri
cious moods of constituencies, nave en-
couraped an easy-minded ignorance.
They have concealed actual conditions,
they have kept their policies secret
they have failed to make the JUS, eNac-
tions that every EngHshman ana WON
an should be in training to meet AS
for themselves. these leaders in maze
of self-hypnosis under the spell of a
"wait-and-see leader, nave 'diheu
themselves deaf and blind to war
that was, even at the moment, already
made in Germany and on Its way 10
aggression. The prime purpose OF TINS
CT c
the need of national service on the part
of every English man and woman
Germany did not want war with Eng
land-yet. England, ready IN 1alr
proportion to GermanyS readiness
couId have prevented war, certainly at
this time But England was not ready
and Germany invaded Belgium. Then
England had no choice
To save her own life, ana not III d
chiyalric zeal to protect Belgium, Eng
land went to war-on crutches ana
here the writer holds up the colossal
failure of the voluntary system OF re-
cruiting the army. system that ENG
land has used and is still using IN
order to save herself from an annihila-
tion that the common Engllshman, tne
man who in the last resort does the
fighting and dying, has had held stead
tasty away from his consideration so,
in tragic state of unpreparedness,
raw troops. cajoled into enlistment, are
being passed over to France and tne
bodies and valiant English hearts. to
stand against the most perfectly organ
1zed and highly efficient war machine
that the world has ever devised TO
the fatuous course of these leaders the
writer traces the common apathy OF
everyday Englishmen to the peril OF
their country. This is the apathy OF an
inexcusable ignorance. Here ne hoids
up in sharp contrast the high spirit
animating the common people OF Ger
many, saying. rightly, that il is this
general devotion to the fatherland on
the part of all Germans which forms
The chief obstacle to the victory of the
allies. Mr.. oliver rejects, as We all do.
the methods and aims of German edu-
cation that pass children out of the
cradle into the schools. and out of the
schools into the army. with not sim
gle break in this lockstep of advance.
but he does covet for England. in her
aims and policies. the tealty that has
armed the German kaiser ten-thousand-
fold in this war. No one whom We
recall has made a broader. truer, less
embittered analysis of Germany along
the main lines of it's obvious ambitions
and activities than has the writer of
this book.
Every now and then. as some excep
fional book on the war appears. We
say, This, so far. is the best book on
the war. 1t possesses the broadcast
vision the most seasoned and impair
tial Judgment. the most striking per-
sonality, the most useful object" And
that is what we are this minute say
ing in respect to Ordeal by Battle"
WEST POINT IN OUR NEXT WAR;
The Only Way to Create and Main
tain nm Army. BY Maxwell Van
Zandt Woodruff, A. NJ. New York:
6. i. Putnams Sons.
AT base this is sturdy argument in
support of the policy of CONSUMPTION
as the only practical means. at this
modern day. of creating and maintain
ing an army. The development of war
TO the status of a profession, to that of
highly specialized science. should.
in Gen. WoodhulTs thinking. automat-
icaIly eliminate the inefficiency and
waste of volunteer service. Here he
brings one into ready accord with his
own point of view. In place of this
unfair and uncertain means of provid-
ing fighting force in the very face
of war itself as the volunteer force is
hurried together and whipped into
activity, this writer would establish
an organized system of CONSUMPTION.
This system would insure an equitable
pressure or all parts of the country
and upon all individuals coming under
' conscriptional conditions. Again. this
policy provides for the adequate train
ing of an ample army in times Of
peace. and in particular does il pro-
vide for the need of an equipped and
efficient force at the moment when
war is declared, an Indispensable fac
tor of success. AS a complement to
this policy of CONSUMPTION, Gen. Wood
hull submits comprehensive plan for
the reorganization and expansion of
West Point Military Academy in. order
TO furnish the new army with proper
training and capable officers. In sum.
the writer proposes an active army OF
100000 men and a reserve army OF
100000 men as the minimum of our
national defense. He would also in
crease the force at West Point to $500
cadets to train and officer this increase
of rank and file. A most Interesting
chapter on the Panama canal and the
diplomatic latencies of the great
waterway brings this striking and
Informing book to close. To the
mind of this writer the Canal Zone is a
danger zone as well. Implicit in It's
existence and possession by the United
States is many menace that calls FOL
prompt and vigorous attitude and &C
zion on the part of this country, to say
nothing of the need for the rectifica
tion OF more than one diplomatic error
OF the past The book is spirited
frank and fearless treatment of eh'
present outstanding. overtoppini
theme of preparedness The writer, o.
military bent by birth and instinct ant
experience, here makes his own in
designations. interprets his own obser
vations. draws upon his own expert
ence and agrees-or disaRrees as hi
Judgment and information dictate
with the plans of government-men ant