The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-20
Admiral Fiske Warns Nation.
To Prepare for Next War
Declares Foreign Trade Competition Inevit-
ably Leads to Strife-Urges Correction in
Mental Attitude of American People.

They strive to foresec calmly
what is going to happen and to be
ready before it actually happens
They are exactly like the five wise
virgins of the Savior's parable.
Wishes spoil Our Judgment.
The trouble. with most people in
the United States is that they al
low their wishes to spoil their
judgment. Ardently desiring peace
they have allowed themselves to
believe. after every waf, that there
would never be another war-al-
though there was not a single good
reason for believing such an alb
surdity, and there were n dozen
reasons for believing the reverse.
If we had adopted a purely ag-
ricultural life, and abandoned all
ideas of expanding our territory and
of making money by foreign trade.
there might have been a little rea-
son for our credulity: for this is
virtually what China had done and
what Japan was doing when Perry
visited there. But OF all the causes
OF war. efforts to extend territory
and to make money by trade in
other countries are by far the most
prolific.
The first thing for the people of
the United States to do. therefore,
in order to insure immunity against
the terrible suffering that wars
have always brought them. is to
reform their mental attitude.
Urges Heed of Warnings.
In our country most of the men
and women who command real in
fluence were brought up amid the
healthful surroundings of country
life, even if they now live in cities:
and they are rarely removed by
more than one or two generations
from people who had to work hard
with their hands and brains.
Such people possess healthful
powers of self-correction; and they
may be relied on to correct their
way of living. provided that they
can be made to see that that way
leads to ruin.
To these people / beg leave to
address a. brief appeal, an appeal to
heed the perfectly plain warnings
Of history. These warnings are
written in letters of blood, and de-
clare the folly Of the life. of ease,
over-indulgence, luxury and pleas
Ure that has preceded the fail Of
every great nation that has fallen,
and that threatens this nation now.
The fat, ungainly men and women
that we see, and their sudden
deaths when they ought to be in
their prime, are merely examples of
what will happen to this nation I'M
less it reforms first it's mental atti-
tude toward life and then it's con-
duct
Advises Reading of History.
So long as we Americans regard
the making of money as our only
aim in life, and the spending of
money on ,luxuries as our only
pleasure, so long will We travel
tho broad road sthat leadeth to
destruction at the hands of Japan
or some other virile people.
1t is inconceivabfy silly for any
nation to think that it can go on
Indefinitely. increasing its foreign
trade, entering into competition
with other nations. and telling 9TH
er nations what they ought to do.
and yet keep out of war The at
tempt has been made many times,
and has failed as many times.
And it is equally silly for any ma
tion to think that it can go on
amassing wealth and taking no
proper measures to protect It.
without being robbed of its waltz
some day, just as men are now be-
ing robbed every day, right in our
finest cities.
The best thing for Americans to
do is to spend an afternoon in
library occasionally. and read what
history tells them about war. I'm
less this great American republic
ceases it's neglect of preparedness
and armament, it will not last long.
. In myxnext article | Will discuss
the fundamental characteristics OF
national armament. ..
Copyright. 1917