The Washington herald., 1922-01-15

OF civilization In Russia has been
smashed. There were influences
tending TO smash Il. OF course: but
there always have been such inhu-
ences in every country. The task OF
the rulers is to prevent them from
smashing it. This the rulers of
Russia were unable TO DO.
Now please note that Russia was
smashed not by outside Influences.
but by inside influences. This has
been the case with virtually every
great country that has fallen,
though IL has superhcialiy ap-
pesred TO be otherwise. Rome. oar
Instance. was sacked by barberlans:
but the reason was that she had
become effeminate and weak. a~-.
-Foes wItkIn- Dangerous.
A nation e. like a ma In that a.
10 always being attacked. but 10
rarely attacked successfully until
its own strength is run down.
There arc inside OF every man
countless noxious germs: but 80
long as his physical health is good
he automatically and unconsciOus.y
overcomes them.
Therefore. the thing which a
country should fear the most is not
the foes without. bpt the foes with
in So long as a country is well
governed and the people are healthy
in mind~and body she will auto
matically protect herself against
outside foes. But when the people
become individually weak. timid or
careless fond OF luxury. indisposed
to exertion and afraid OF war. they
automatically become unable even To-
prepare for war. Then they suffer
| frightfully when war catches them.
Let any one go up on hill or
lofty building and observe a city.
At that time let him try to visualize -
what would happen in that city IN
al the electric light plans were
suddenly destroyed, or the tele-
phone exchanges. or the elevators,
or the water supply, or the rail-
roads thst bring food. He will then
realize the precarioUs position
which every great city occupies.
II he will also visualize a haIE
dozen airplanes flying over the city,
manned by either a foreign enemy
or a gang of bandits. he Will still
more clearly realize 81.
| II may be objected that "a IL not
| probs BILE that half a dozen airplancs
are going 20 fly over a city with
hostile intent. Perhaps IL - not
| probable; but certainly IL IL possi-
BILE. Occurrences far less improb-
able have come TO pass. and feaJs
immeasurably more difficult hsv-s
been accomplished.
Jspsns Trsised MnItsnis.
Let him that standeth take heed
lest he fall" Let him that climbetH
to any height take heed lest he fall:
and let him realize that the higher
] he ri h.. h..
The civilized nations have climbe,l.
to a height which even the last
| generation never dreamed Of: amt
Ihey are climbing higher and hiGhe-
/ every day. They arc making the
machine Increasingly complex. an
creasingly efficient. increaSinglys
wonderful in every way.
But by so doing they are maxim
/ IL Increasingly liable TO injury. and
even TO destruction. Is a. not time
that they should endeavor TO tram
men 20 handle IL? AZ yet they Gu
not seem to have even thought
about doing IL. for there H. not a
nation in the world in which tvs
machine of civilization is handled
by men who have been specially
trained 20 handle it,
Furthermore. although all navieS.
- see
tons. all baseball teams are han
died according TO principles that are
virtually identical. yet the four
greatest nations in the world arc
/ governed according to principles at
| variance with each other. II
science OF government had been
! worked out, that is, il a science for
handling the machine OF civilization
had been evolved, there could be no
such variance.
But the part of the machine u
civilization which is the least un-
derstood by most governments IS
the naval and military part In al
the governments CeNcept Japan the
men occupying the hich positions
know immessursbly less about the
naval and military part than about
any other part Yet that - the
part about which they ought TO
know the most. becauEc IL is the
part which. in all the history Of tho
world. has been the most urgently
important 20 its country.
This highly delicate and complex
machine OF civilization needs nov.
and will need for many decades IN
the future. the utmost possible OF
naval ,and military strength aud
/ skill and wisdom. in order TO guard
/ II from forces like those that follcd
the Roman Empire. that ars
strangling Russia now. and that
menace at this moment everything
that Invention and construction has
accomplished.
Cother articles by Rear Admiral
| Fiske will follow