Weekly journal-miner., 1916-08-02

prevention; but in this our diplomacy | failed, doubtless because of impaired
 credit and the manifest lack of dis i position to back words with action.
 Tt is great mistake to say that rcsolutcncss in protecting American | rights would have led to war Rath-
 CT in that course lay the best assur-
 ance of peace. Weakness and inde-
 cision in the maintenance of known
 rights arc always sources of grave
 danger: they forfeit respect and in- vite serious wrongs, which, in turn,
 create an uncomfortable popular re-
 sentiment. That is not the path of
 rational security. Not only have we
 a host of resources short of war by
 which to enforce our just demands,
 but we shall never promote our peace
 by being stronger in words than in
 deeds. We had not have found it
 difficult to maintain peace, but we
 should have maintained peace with
 honor. During this critical period,
 the only danger of war has lain in the
 weak course of the administration.
 "Wc are a peace-loving people, but
 we live in a world of arms. We have
 no thought of aggression, and we de-
 Sire to preserve our democratic ideals without the wastes of strife.
 "It is apparent that we are shock
 ingly unprcpared. There is no room
 for controversy on this point since
 the object lesson on the Mexican
 border All our available regular
 troops Qcss, I believe, than 40,OO0)
 are there or in Mexico, and as these have been deemed insufficient the en-
 tire national guard has been ordered out; that is we arc summoning prac- tically all our movable military forces in order to prevent bandit incursions.
 In view of the warnings of the past three years, it is incxcusablc that we should find ourselves in this plight
 For our faithful guardsmcn, who with a fine patriotism responded to this call and arc bearing this burden, l have nothing but praise. But think
 t little short of absurd that we should be compelled to call men from their shops, their factories, their offices and their professions, for such purpose.
 Tn the demand for reasonable pre- paredness the administration has fol- lowed, not led. Those who demanded l more adequate forces were first de scribcd as nervous and excited Only | about a year and half ago we were told that the question of preparedness was not a pressing one; that the | country had been misinformed. Lat CT, under the pressure of other leader ship, this attitude was changed. The | administration, it was said, had learn cd something and it made belated demand for an increased army. Even then the demand was not prosecuted consistently and the pressure cxerted on congress with respect to other ad- measures was notably absent.
 We demand adequate national de fcnse: adequate protection on both our Western and Eastern Coasts. We demand thoroughness and efficiency in both arms of the service. It seems to be plain that our regular army is too small. We are too great coun- try to require our citizens who arc engaged in peaceful vacations the sort of military service to which they are now called. As well insist that our citizens in this metropolis be summoned to put out fires and police the streets. We do not count it in consistent with our liberties, or with our democratic ideals, to have an adc- quatc police force. With a population of nearly 1OO,OOO,OOO we need to De sure of ourselves than to become at the prospect of having . regular arm which can reasonably | protect our border, and perform such other military service as may be re- | luired, in the absence of grave em- urgency. l believe, further, that there should be not only reasonable in { crease in the regular army. but that Inc first citizen reserve subject to call . should be enlisted as Federal army and trained under Federal authority.
 " Our opponents promised to re- luce the cost of living. This they nave failed to do: but they did reduce he opportunities of making a living. 4 ct Us not forget the conditions that 'xistcd in this country under the new ariff prior to the outbreak of the var. Production had decreased, busi cess was languishing: new enterprises