The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-03-30

ton which it will carry is of greater
moment. 1t will read:
Here, on Sunday, August 2, 1914.
at 10 o'clock in the morning, more
than 80 hours before war was de-
clared on France, and at a time
when the government of the re-
public, in order to avoid all cause
for conflict, had withdrawn her
troops to a distance Of 10 kilomet-
ers from the frontier; the imperial
and royal government of Germany
caused the first French blood to be
shed.
It is we'll for this inscription to have
publicity before it is inscribed in
bronze or marble, for just now it is es-
sential that mems minds be kept quite
clear as to the issues at stake in settl-
ing The peace of Europe.
Corporal Puegot, schoolmaster and
soldier, shot by treacherous foe while
parleys to avoid war were still being
conducted, being dead yet speaketh.-
st. Petersburg Times.
Japan Is Still Arrine-
past year and a half has been in COM
mand Of the American naval forces in
Asiatic waters, gives it as his opin-
Ion that the Japanese navy will equal
that OF the United States in 1928. Ad-
mtral Gleaves is thoroughly inform
ed regarding the present and contem-
plated naval strength of the two ma
tons, as he has had wide experience in
the matter, learning from personal
observation the exact condition of at
fairs; so what he states may be given
full credence. In the words which fol-
low, Admiral Gleaves gives the Amer
lean government and people food for
thought:
With all her liabilities and the
great disparity in wealth as COM
pared with this country, Japan is
carrying out an 'S-S' program, call
ing for eight battleships, eight bat
tie cruisers and all the submarines
and other vessels which go with
them by 1928. No one knows how
many submarines she is building;
that fact is kept secret. Consid-
ering the difference in wealth, her
'8-S' program is equivalent to one
of '64-64' here.
Our elaborate program" is not
nearly so elabodate as it is sup
posed to be. Going at the present
rate, our navy in 1928 will only be
roughly equal to the Japanese.
Thus it would appear that all the
talk about Japan taking a holiday in
its navy building program is all a mis-
take or, as Admiral Gleaves better ex-
presses it, absurd. But, absurd as this
specialist pronounces if, where are the
men in and out of congress who will
refuse to remain blind under the blan-
dishments of official Japan and awak-
en- to the fact that that country is now
engaged in a vast program of military
construction, that it is working night
and day to increase its army, navy
and air service? AS Admiral Gleaves
points out, Japan is building her mill
tary forces along coordinate and sys-
tematic lines; she is constructing bat
tleships, cruisers, submarines, air
planes and ali the different parts
which go to making of a navy thor |
ough in its complement of ships and
personnel.
A most vital point, and one likely to |
be overlooked, is the fact that Japan is
building a large fleet Of submarines
Admiral Gleaves states no one knows
how maryland numbers/of airplanes, |
the two arms of the service in which
America is so woefully weak. Why is
1t that this country will not learn?
Why does it keep on repeating, year
after year, the mistake which it has
paid so dearly for in the past-the mis-
take of being unprepared to meet the !
coming of war?
The signs are unmistakable that ia |
pan is making all these warlike pre- /
parations in order that she may use !
them against the United States, and !
yet the government of our country and !
the people of our land seem disposed |
to "lie supinely on their backs and hug
the delusive phantom of hope until our
enemy shall have bound us hand and |
foot Let us renew the call of Pat !
rick Henry and once more exclaim, |