The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-05-03
MILITARY MISTAKES OF u. S.:
UNPREPAREDNESS COSTS LIVES
BY James E. Clark

Secretary of the Conference
Committee ON National Prepared
ness; Written Especially for The
Times.)
Every generation of Americans
since the War of 1912 has taken
great satisfaction In the naval
of our forces during
that struggle and has ignored the
disasters which attended our land
forces.
Though young the republic had
apparently sased time and money
by doing without an army worthy
of the name, the nation neverthe-
less was penalized for its neglect
Of national defenses when the
War of 1912 came.
There were I'm Canada In 1912
1900 British troops. Our stand
Ing army then was 6744, but our
soldiers were widely scattered
Though the coming of this
struggle had been foreseen,
the United States entered the
conflict mpreparcd. Con-
Rrcss had authorized an army
Of $4,000 troops six months
before the outbreak hut this
army was still on paper and
was therefore unable to take
advantage of the enemy's
weakness.
Had the United States been
ready it could have ended the war
In one campaign of six months or
less, against so small force.
The United States had album
dance, 1t WAS favored by the slow
ocean transportation of that day,
the enemy was inferior in num-
bers and cut off from reinforce
ments; yet because our national
forces were not modified nor CO.
ordinated. we were not only UNI
able to take advantage of our op-
portunity, but on the other hand,
we suffered a series of disgrace
full defeats.
To those who look upon the
maintenance of large standing
army as unnecessary, to those who
look upon universal military serv-
ice when no war threatens as an
unnecessary waste Of time and
money, our experiences In the
War of 1912 should be illuming.
Because of our unprcpared-
ness we lost two years I'm war;
fare, we lost many lives need
lessly and we lost an Oppor-
tunity to gain all of the North
American continent lying be-
yOnd the Canadian frontier.
The thought of territorial con-
quest is today repugnant to the
American mnid, but 1t was not re-
pugnant then.
After that war very large part
of what is now the United States
was acquired by purchase or con-
quest. So 1t is evident the lack
Of an adequate army and an ade-
quate military policy prior TO
1872 was, instead of an economy,
a neglect which produced blood
shed and waste of money and OPP
|portunity.
it was due also to this same
lack of preparedness and lack of
adequate military policy that the
British fleet was able in 1914 to
land force and burn the capitol
at Washington, after a force of
militia, which, Judged by its nu-
merical strength was supposed to
be sufficient, had fled before the
invaders.
In speaking of the assault upon
Washington a British officer who
participated in it solemnly de-
clared he was sorry that there had
not been more American militia
men because the greater the num-
Der the greater would have been
the confusion among them.
This disaster, like all OF
those which had preceded
the War of 1912, was
entirely due to the fact that
eminent citizens and states
men had been unable TO ap-
preciate the value of military
education and discipline.
We employed in the War of
1912 no less than 527,654 troops
OF all kinds and yet we had defeat
and disaster constantly thrust
upon us by an enemy, which dur
ing any one year of the war never
had a force to exceed 16,500 |
troops.