Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-02-05

4 =
Lindley NJ. Garrison, Secretary of
| War.
consideration Of the subject. If by
militarism they mean the placing o.
the military authority over the civil
| authority, or if they mean that the
ordinary processes of government
shall in any way be subservient to mil
| itary authority or influence, no afgu
ment is needed to secure unanimitl
of opinion that this is not only unde
sirable but in this country impossible
If they mean, however, that any rea
sonable, sensible precautiOn of mill
tary nature is militarism, then the!
have reached a conclusion without the
aid of clear vision or sound reason
ing. 49,. &
Those who really fear militarism,
or, more accurately stated, those who
dread real militarism. should be the
strongest advocates of reasonable
preparation The latter is the proven
tive of militarism If they unWisely
defeat reasonable preparedness, they
leave the country in condition where
the inevitable result of defeat, humili.
alton or acute apprehension, will be
hasty and ill-advised provisions as to
armament far beyond anything which
calm reason and wise provision would
deem necessary. -.
Not Counter to Our Traditions.
There will be those who assert that
the proposed policy opposes the ira
ditions of the people and runs counter
q l. Id ~ ION
is not the fact, and in truth the fact
is to the contrary. The proposed pol
icy is exactly in keeping with our ira
ditions. Such traditions are for a
standing force, small in relation to
population. and trained and equipped
force much larger in proportion there
to but not constantly under arms. This
is exactly what the plan proposes.
There will also be those who will
express regret that the policy here
tofore pursued, of lack of proper mili-
tary precautions, is to be departed
from because it has been invaluable
as an example to the rest of the world
and we should not remedy the lack
because we would then cease to be
such an example. 1t should be OBJ
served first, in considering this point
of view, that it entirely oyerlooks the
vital and imperative duty to ourselves
which requires that We should pro-
tect and defend that which we cherish
and hold dear Furthermore, it over
looks the fact that although we have
been just the example that they de-
sire throughout the more than a GEN.
fury and a quarter of our existence,
the results existing in the world today
do not warrant the belief that our ex-
ample has had any beneficial effect.
There are some who decry taking
any precautions or making any prep
arations of the military power of the
nation because they say it will not
prevent war but will provoke it. TAX
ing up the last question first, the an
swer has already been made to this.
Men and nations must prepare to
meet their responsibilities: If it is in
advisable to develop strength suffici-
:ent to repel wrong because such de.
veloped strength may be misused, hui
man nature has indeed reached an i'm
passe. Why should it be presumed
that just man or a just nation will
cease to be just because 1t has the
power to be unjust? We must either
trust others or trust ourselves.
AS to preparation for war prevent
ing war, that misstates the position of
the sensible advocate of preparedness.
1t is not asserted that it prevents it,
but it is asserted that it tends to pre-
vent it, and in many instances has
been demonstrated to have prevented
il. The military force prepared by the
municipality-that is, the police-does
not prevent crime, but it tends to pre-
vent it, and it undoubtedly minimizes
the aggresions of the wrong-doer
against the lives and property of the
right-doer. ::..-
Must Often Fight for Right.
So long as right and wrong exist IN
the world there will be an inevitable.
conflict between them. The right-doer
must be prepared to protect and de-
fend the right as against the wrong.
Their preparation will tend to prevent
the triumph of wrong; and in those in
stances in which it does not prevent
the attempt it can prevent the success
of the attempt.
Somewhat in the same vein is the in
sistence of those who say Il will not
consent to the nation having arms
until know against whom it intends
to use them" Identical reasoning
would result in saying q will not
place a club or revolver in the hands
of a policeman until he tells me the
name of the criminal he intends to
use them upon" or, Il will not agree
IN nrnnarp fire annaratus unless Won
point out where the fires are going te
be-" Wisdom demands precaution:
precaHtion demands preparation; PREF
aration is against the day of evil from
any quarter.
If the only protection against evil
was such as was undertaken after the
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