The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-04-13
Pershing's Address on Preparedness.

| but IN the lace OF dangers IndJ nave
already befallen nations unprepared
1t is first of all our duty to marshal
our forces and organize our resour-
ces. The time is here for the people
of this country to arouse themselves,
show their wonted courage and re-
viye their devotion to the principles
of the fathers. Americans have been
dazed, uncertain, and perplexed. They
have taken counsel of timidity, and in
consequence they appear unable to do
any positive thing. 1t is high time
for plain talk and practical perform
ance. X You would think that a
sensible people after all our expert
ence would realize the necessity for
adequate preparation; but at the he
ginning of the Civil War we were
still adhering to the fatuous policy
of previous wars. We pursued the
same course; first calling out the mi
litia, then volunteers, then granting
bounties with all their demoralizing
effect of wholesale desertion and
bounty jumping; and we must record
the same result-total failure of the
volunteer system and tremendous
loss of life and property. Fortunate
ly each side in this war was about
equally unprepared and neither had
the advantage. To a much greater
degree than in former wars, reliance
in the North upon the voluntary en-
listment prevented rational organiza-
ton, made operations uncertain, ig-
nored the universal obligations of the
individual for military service, and
encouraged the shirk of the skulker.
These costly experiences have proved
that it is impossible, without tremen-
dous losses, to build up a national ar
my by depending upon State govern
ments for cooperation. IN the State
militia of today each of the as States
has it's own policy, which changes al
most with every new governor. The
officers are usually elected by the
votes of the members of the organi-
cation, and it is unreasonable to sup
pose that these troops will be fit for
war until they have had several
months of hard training in the field
under the direction of competent Of
ficers. There can not be any reliance
upon any plan for immediate prepar-
edness which does not place the de-
tails of organization and training Of
the forces under the control of the
Central Government. r. II There
have been marked changes in the art
of war during the last 10 years, per-
haps greater than during any century
since the invention of gunpowder.
While the same method of transport
ing and supplying armies were used
in both Napoleon's and Caesars time,
the adoption of explosive weapons
wrought important changes in hand.
ling troops on the battle field. Most
of the modern improvements in the
arts and sciences have been utilized
in the art of war, but of all these
the perfection of the interior-combus-
ton engine has probably had a great
er influence upon military art tan
any other modern invention. The full
effect of these inventions on the meth
DDS of conducting warfare have not
yet been fully realized by the world
at large.
Marvelously quick transportation
of troops, the ability to provide food
and supplies for inconceivable num-
bers of fighting men, rapid communi-
cation of intelligence, power to fly
through the air and scout the enemy,
travelling under water 5000 miles
from base to sink his ships, throwing
projectiles of unprecedented weight
to smash his forts, transporting and
treating thousands of wounded who
would otherwise perish but for the
use of the automobile-these are
some of the more striking improve
ments in modern methods of conduct
ing warfare, improvements which
make military preparation before the
beginning of war absolutely essential.
The risks of war are ten times
as hazardous as fire risks, and al
though the average man insures
against fire hIgives little thought to
national insurance against war. Dur
ring the life of this Republic we have
had % years of war, including the
Florida War, not counting Indian
wars and other internal disturbances,
where the Army has been used. That
is to say, we have had one year of
war to every five years of peace dur
ing the time of our national existence.
1t has been declared that the ma
lions engaged in the present deplor-
able struggle will be so exhausted in
the end that they will be in no con-
dition to wage another war. The his
tory of nations, including our own,
does not bear out any such theory.
When this country emerged from the
Civil War it was for the only time in
its history prepared for war, and was
without doubt the strongest military
nation in the world. AS such it did
not hesitate to demand the immedi-
ate withdrawal of France from Mex
leo, which had been occupied in vio-
iation of the Monroe doctrine. a de-
mand that was promptly complied
with. At the end of the present war
the nations involved will, no doubt,
be stronger from military stand
point than ever before. The popula-
ton will be no less, as enough male
children have been born during this
war period to compensate for the |
losses incurred.
The attractiveness that this unpre-
pared Nation offers to any we'll
armed, well-equipped, aggressive, first
class military power seeking revenge
or gain will appear evident when it
is realized that we have greater ac-
cumulated wealth than any other two
nations; twice as many motor cars
and motor trucks as all Europe:
that we produce more iron and steel
than any other three nations; more
copper than all the rest of the world.
and have a greater mileage of rail-
roads than the nations of Europe