The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-12-10
Friday, December 10, 1920
A MILITARY POLICY FOR THE
UNITED STATES

pGOplG. 4uG USlIC1 10 O1oOu oOAS
ly upon gross ignornace of our
own National History. The
truth is that, as a nation. we have
spent II per cent of our existence
in a state5of war. Of the l45
years we have been nation, we
have spent 80 years..sin Major
Wars, and Is in minor Wars.
Our wars have never been
Military Wars; that is, wars OF
aggression, waged solely for. the
sale of Military Conquest.
Neither the War Department.,
nor the Army, has ever brought
on a war, nor have they partic-
ipated in any agitation or move
ment which has resulted in war.
On the contrary, '..our wars have
invariably resulted1 from Com
mercial or Political conflict, some
times aggravated by propaganda
concerning the inhuman or I'M
christian practices Of our pro-
posed enemy. The actual Dec
laration Of War has been forced
upon Congress by the weight of
public opinion.
Our War Department and
Army, forgotten and neglected
during times of peace, have con-
sequently been found unprepar-
ed for war and have been
made the target of much abuse
and unjustifable criticism. A
typical course of procedure in
our wars may be stated as fol-
lows:
There arises possible cause
for war, our State Department
attempts to make an amicable
settlement, there is a period of
interchange of diplomatic notes
the possibility of war becomes
more or less, a probability. The
Press invites public discussion
in an effort to feel the pulse of
diplomatic exchange
of notes become public property,
war is imninent-war seems in
evitable, war exists, the weight
of public opinion forces Congress
to declare war. Thereupon we
proceed to scandalous waste of
money, as prodigal now as form
erly parsimonious-we appro-
pirate astounding sums in a fran
tic but hopeless endeavor to buy
back the lost time for prepare
ton. Where then is our Regu-
lar Army? Where then is our
National Guard? Having de-
spised, forgotten, neglected
them in time Of peace, even up
to the actual declaration Iof war,
we proceed to practice a heart
less and soulless waste of their
lives. After a hasty and incom-
plete preparation and partial CO.
uipment, we throw them in bat
tie to fight our war. Without
disparagement of the sublime
selfsacrifce of our brave soldiers
and the patriotic devotion of
our whole nation, it is only a
series of blunders in warf are,
after an extravagant waste of
money and property, after dis
ruption of industrial conditions,
always resulting in financial
crisis, hard times, etc, and after
many invidious comparisons and
determinations between the I'M
homogeneous parts of our Army,
we win the war through luck, the
blind happenings of Chance, or
the benefcent act of Providence.
We give our returning heroes
a short but sincere welcome
Home" and settle down to count |
the cost. We howl about the war |
taxes-we demand that a Com
mittee of Congress investigate
the Conduct of the War-We vote |
the War Administration out Of |
office-We demand victim to ap-
pease the righteous wrath of a
silly and thoughtlass Nation of
people.
The thoughtful people in the
United States should thank God
thai We now have a chance of
avoidiLa repetition of our past
national fOii-3s; That one OF the
benifcial results of the World
War has been an enlightenment
which have resulted in an ideal
military policy for the United
States.
Our National Defense Act as
amended by the Act of June 4,
1929, offers to the people of the
United States az opportunity for
a reasonable degree Of prepare
ton tor war during the times of
peace. It has taken US cen
Jury and half to heed the ad
vice Of Washington.