The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-02-15

4 NsA.AN - wv kNN Aligo Nat lft Alff ltsI
future we may be confronted with n
! situation which we cannot possibly
master. In case an attacking force is
sent against us we shall have only
three weeks in which TO get ready
to fight the most highly trained and
equipped armies and navies the world
has ever seen. We ought to be able TO
fight them, not in the way in which the
citizens Of Athens fought Philip Of
Macedon, not the way the hordes Of
Darius fought Alexander, not the way
the lnyincible Amanda fought Sir
Francis Drake, not the way Silesia
fought Frederick the Great, not the
way Mack fought Napoleon, not the
way the American frigate Chesapeake
fought the British frigatc Shannon,
not the way Austria and France
fought Motke, not the way China and
Russia fought Japan, not the way Bel
gium fought Germany. The way in
which those defeated forces fought
their victors, however, is precisely the
way in which we are preparing to
fight our enemies next time.
Eifeminacy of the United States
"The principal cause Of military and
naval backwardness is that ever since
our Civil War, which closed fifty years
ago, period of peace has continued
which was broken for a short time
only by the events Of the Spanish War.
The result has been that the brain
power Of the country as a whole has
been diverted from military affairs to
a degree beyond that which is safe; to
a degree like that in which it was di-
Vorted in every wealthy nation in his
tory, shortly before that nation fell.
It was so diverted from military af-
airs in Assyria, Egypt, the cities Of
Greece, and in Rome; it was diverted
rom naval affairs in Holland before
Holland succumbed to Great Britain;
t was so diverted in France, and de-
'oted to the pleasures that made Paris
he mistress Of fashion, before the
rmics of France went down like tin
oldiers before the real soldiers Of
russia in 1870.
"The cause Of the diverting Of at
cntion and effort from military things
) not mental so much as moral; not
oily so much as effeminacy. 1t is be-
ause Of natural yielding to the
leasurcs of the senses and the appe-
ties; to the pleasures of soft beds,
eautiful houses, and gently rolling
to physical Incidence,
weet music, silk stockings, and kid
loves; to fashionable society, golf,
nd French novels; in a word to lux
ry. Yet it is at bottom the pursuit
{ luxury, and the resulting strife for
)reign trade, that has been the prin-
pal cause Of modern wars.
uncle sam Pcrtect Lady
"The nation has become effcminized.
gorge Washington would not know
5, and General Grant would be shock
to see the difference in manner and
srriagc between the young men Of to-
~ and the young men that marched
hind him only fifty years ago. They
ould be amazed to see how Uncle
am who typifcs our nation in the
ctures, has become eifeminizcd, and
ey would realize that, although his
lrb is still Of masculine cut, yet that
in the family of nations
has been gradually growing TO be
IS like big he man than like a
rfcct lady; less an Uncle Sam than
Aunt Elizabeth.
"This docs not impugn the courage
our people, because women are as
ave as men, and because our people
G brave. In fact they may be to-
ave, like the Barbarian boys. The
ID Of bravery they have shown in
ting the country drift along unde-
ldcd as they have done in this war
G world, reminds me Of remark
ldc by the late Rear Admiral Brad
I'd some years ago, while was taxi
: him over the Atlantic, then the
de Of the navy. When ! showed
n The coming tower, ! remarked
It some captains declared they
uld not 20 into the coming tower
battle. Bradford answered: "The
]tain who would 70 into the con-
g tower IN battle would te very
i've, but he'd be a damned fool"