The Colorado statesman., 1917-02-24

III tne iutter pull VI Aprii, tooo, Soh-
gress declared war against Spain. Mr..
Mckinley resisted this step 20 the ut
most and worked as hard as icesideDt
Wilson has been working TO avoid the
beginning of hostllities. The United
States was wholly unprepared for war
in 1898, but as 1t happened she was
to face n power whose navy was not
anything like as good as her own.
Some of the eastern cities along the
coast were much concerned when the
Spanish war broke out lest they be
bombarded There was not the re-
motest chance of It, and today If war
should come there is comparatively
small chance that there will be any
great naYal fights in American waters.
The Spanish war was less than
twenty years ago, but as one reads the
names of the members Of the two
houses of congress who were in office
at that time he reads largely list
of the dead or the retired. There are
some men in the present congress, how
ever, who had voice in declaring war
against Spain, but their number Is
small
Most of Them Dead or Retired
Thomas B. Reed of Maine was
speaker of the house of representatives
when the Spanish trouble broke. In
the house at that time were Nelson
Dingley of Maine, author of the Ding
ley tariff bill; Jonathan p. Dolliver of
Iowa William II. Moody of Massachu-
sets, later to become secretary of the
navy, attorney general and justice
of the Supreme court; Charles A. Bou-
telle of Massachusetts, who was chair
man of the committee on naval af-
fairs, and John A. L. Hull of Iowa,
chairman of the house committee on
military affairs.
Joseph G. Cannon of Illinois, who
still is in the house of representatives,
was in the Spanish war DAYS chairman
of the committee on appropriations,
and it was under his committee rule
that congress in twenty minutes voted
to place S50000,000 in cash in the
hands of President Mckinley for the
prosecution of the war. OF course 1t
cost this country much more than that
before the conflict was over.
In the senate at that time Nelson W..
Aldrich was chairman of the commit
tee on finance, and Cushman X. Davis
of Minnesota was chairman of the COM
mittee on foreign relations. On this
latter committee at that time were
Frye of Maine, Cullom of Illinois,
Lodge of Massachusetts, Clark of Wy
oming and Foraker of Ohio. Lodge is
still a member of the committee and
Clark is still in the senate. Eugene
Hale of Maine, who is still living but
is out of congress and a confirmed in
valid, was at the head of the senate
committee on naval affairs, while Gen.
Joseph Hawley of Connecticut was the
chairman of the military affairs COM
mittee.
Like a City in War Time.
All sorts of rumors of outrages
against government property and OF
attempts to obtain knowledge OF
military and naval movements have
been circulated in Washington for
days. No matter how substantial these
rumors may seem to be, no newspaper
man writes concerning them. 1t is
|
and most hurtful thing to cast suspi-
cion upon any naturalized citizen or
any unnaturalized one without proof
positive that something besides mere
suspicion attaches. The effect of
spreading suspicion, the officials know,
would be to arouse resentment and
perhaps actually to make enemies of
men of a class which desires to be
friendly.
Washington is like a city in the
midst of war time except for the abb
sence of marching troops. 1t ought
to be understood that no one in Wash
ington, whether he be of the army or
of the navy, or of any other service.
wants war; When word is written
which seemingly is war word 1t
should be studied carefully. The situ-
alton has been that officials here be-
lieve war was inevitable. No one here
wanted war He simply feared that II
must come.
Military officers seem to think that 1t
may be necessary one day and perhaps
Immediately to raise an army of 5OO,-
900 men, This number they may get
If the need comes, but the great neces-
sity will be for men who have had
sufficient training to act as instruct
ors. 1t is an easy enough thing to say
that the regular army's rank and file
can be drawn upon for drill masters
and for teachers of the more advanced
forms of military duty, but every man
in the regular army may be needed for
instant garrison service If not for
instant fighting service.
Civilians May Be instructors.
There are in the United States thou
sands of men in civil life who have
COON service in the regular army. A