Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-02-23


most and worked AS bard as President
Wilson has been working TO avoid the
beginning of hostilities. The United
States was wholly unprepared for war
in 1898, but as it happened, she was
To face power whose navy was not
anything like as good as her own.
Some of the easter cities along the
coast were much conceshed when the
Spanish war broke out lest they be
bombarded. There was not the re-
hottest chance of ii, and today if war
should come there is comparatively
small chance that there will be any
great naval fights in American waters.
The Spanish war vas less than
twenty years ago, but as one reads the
names of the members of the two
houses of congress who we're in office
at that time he reads largely a 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, bur 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 bin; Jonathan z. DOllirer 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 en- naval af-
fairs, and John A. r. 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 TIE Spanish war Gays chairman
of the committee ON appropriations,
and it was under his committee rule
that congress. in twenty minutes voted
to place S50,000,O00 in cash in the
hands of President Mckinley for the
prosecution of the war OF course Il
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, Cullon of Illinois,
Lodge of Massachusetts. Clark of wy
oming and Foraker of Ohio. Lodge is
still 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
realized that it is a dangerous thing
and most hurtfui 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 Il city in the
midst of war time except for the alb
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 a war word it
should be studied carefully. The stu
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 ii
may be necessary one day and perhaps
Immediately to raise an army of 500
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 |
seen service in the regular army. a |
public appeal will be made to those |
men to come forward TO serve their |
country in its stress time. The Platts-
burg and the Fort Sheridan camp |
men or those Of them who have ehouyu