New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-29

kept us so shamefully unprepdIeu'
what he says in his Cincinnati speech
is true, why has he allowed three ana
half years TO pass without any prep,
aration? Remember also that 1t VIII
be four years more before we even ge'
the half measure of preparedness
which Mr.. Wilson now ofers-that Is
seven and half years after MI VII,
son took Office. He has talked OF
peace; he has written Of peace; ne mas
opposed preparedness. He has oeeh
conducting his campaign on the issue
that he has kept US out Of war: Ana
now he turns around and says that we
shall surely be involved in the next
war and that we ought to fight when
ever there is a repetition OF such
crime as the invasion Of Belgium or
the butchery of the Armenians and OF
the Syrian Christians.
Delay Costly to Navy
"If his words do not mean this, then
they are not worth the breath that
uttered them Yet last year he sane
toned the attack on the Bethlehem
Steel Company, which IL was wholly
inexcusable to sanction if there was
any real purpose 10 prepare our navy
for war. The newspapers have Just an
nounced that the bids of the Navy De-
partment just issued called for ships 10
be completed in four years at an IN
creased cost of S3,000,000 per ship.
Mr.. Wilson's delay and vacillatlon
about preparedness has cost US seven
years in time and needless billions OF
dollars in money.
"Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise
in time" the Colonel continued. Mr..
Wilson's Cincinnati speech is a more
severe arraignment than any OUTSIDER
could possibly make OF the criminal
folly OF his administration IN refusing
TO begin to prepare two and one quarter
wears ago, when this great word war
broke out. Thanks to his action j!
will be four years yet before, al mos'
wasteful cost, we shall see the ne"
battleships provided.
But, as regards the army, not even
this has been done. Four months ago
the President ordered the mobilization
of all the armed and uniformed forces
of the country on the Mexican border;
and after four months, working under
the plan he had proposed and mad en-
acted at the last Congress, we have not
assembled OF the border force that
would be a match for single army
corps of one of the great military
powers, such an army corps as could
be landed here in New York within a
fortnight of the outbreak OF war or IN
San Francisco within month.
Suggestion Unwelcome
AIN one phase Of the preparedness
question Mr.. Wilson has been entirely
consistent Any nation that wanted
Americas aid to prepare was welcome
to it, but any suggestion that America
prepare herself was unwelcome. lie mas
permitted Mexico to arm and equip her-
self thoroughly. lie has permitted bu-
rope to fill our factories 10 overnoW-
ing with orders for all sorts OF war
supplies and with our help prepare
to the greatest extent possible.
"The appearance OF the submarines
in our harbors shows that sudden at
tack by submarines on our navy ml8h''
before any declaration OF war was
made, leave us without navy ana WIN
only our armed land forces TO defend
ne from the invader. Remember that
half Of the wars of modern times have
been begun prior TO the formal decla-
ration of war; and If we had in office
men of the stamp of Messrs. wilson
and BRYAN. Daniels and Baker. 1t IS
absolutely certain that we should drift
helplessly into such q war and receive
the first stunning blow before we were
in any way ready for self-defence.
THANKS to Mr.. Wilson, our UMPIRE
hardness in naval and military mat
ters is appalling. and or derelictlon
in duty TO humanity at large shocking
beyond description. But our spiritual
unpreparedness, thanks 70 Mr.. wilson
is even greater than our physical un-
preparedness. Mr.. Wilson, through his
ceaseless flow of graceful elocuuon,
has bewildered the minds and crippled
the sense of honor Of our people. Inc
too-proud-to-fght doctrine IS cloak
behind which the coward hides. IL Is
AN excuse for the timid, sordid man
who wishes to make money proht out
Of the sacrifices Of others.
Policy Destroys Loyalty
aft has been the chief cause respon.
sible for the spread Of the spirit or
disloyaltv in the United States among
those who openly or secretly believe
i'm a divided citizenship. No man VIII
be permanently loyal TO q country that
is TOO proud to fight. The man who
already feels a divided allegiance be-
tween such country and another
which, whatever its faults, has SHOWN
valor and power, is certain TO transfer
his LOYALTY 10 the latter. II what the
President says in his Cincinnati speech
is true. il America is indeed sure TO
be in the next great war, II u is her
duty to use all her physical force ior
tho Fundamental rights of humanity
over the wide world, then rest assured
nv fellow countrymen, America VIII
l.. ~
lead of a man whose sol was sucn az
10 hermit him TO make use OF such IN
exprssion as too proud 10 fight.
1.-THE man who is too proud to hght
ia utterly unfit for leadership in a ma
ton that has TO face such possibilities
as President Wilson now says the
American people must face or to per
form such international duties as the
President now says the American
people must perform.
Whole Course Wrong
"President Wilson's whole course has
been wrong. II no more follows tha'
we win be obliged TO get into the next
war than it would have followed that
we would have gotten into this war II
VIC had protested vigorously the mo-
ment Belgium's neutrality was threat
ened with violation. The Fundamental
difficulty with Mr.. Wilson's policy has
been his lack of moral courage. lie
has delayed and postponed. He has
never met single question man
fashion. lie never met any question IN
a shirt that carried instant conviction
that his words would be backed by
deeds and that the question would be
dealt with firmly and courageously.
"If Mt the beginning of his dealings
with Mexico he had shown such d
spirit. Mexico would have been spared
the frightful devastation that has fol.
lowed and we would have been spared
the shame and humiliation of having oui