Milford chronicle., 1926-11-12
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Written for Milford Chronicle by
Frank p. Litschert

All Americans who have the well
fare of their country at heart will
heartily approve the wise and pa
triOtic words of General John ].
Pershing, speaking before the as
sembled delegates of the Military
Order of the World War, at Phila-
delphia. General Pershing remind
ed his hearers that the world is not
yet free from jealousy and covet-
BUSINESS" and declared that our situ-
alton as a world power requires that
we maintain "a highly developed
neucleus" of national defense.
Continuing General Pershing
said: There can be no earthly JUS
tification for saving a few million
dollars q year on the army during
peace, if as a consequence we must
spend many billions in an emer-
gency in an attempt to make up
deficiencies. The difference be-
tween an adequate and inadequate
system is not sufficient to warrant
the risk. There is point below
which we cannot go without serious
results and we have reached that
point"
All Americans who think clearly
will agree with General Pershing
that Uncle Sam must maintain the
nucleus of an army, and an efficient
nucleus which can be rapidly ex-
panded in time of need. In spite
I .e
much advertised agencies OF world
peace, there is no indication as yet
that the god of war has been rele-
gated permanently to the back
ground. The spirit of jealousy still
exists, and certainly, the present
feeling of many European nations
toward the United States is not one
that would justify our lying down
in lamblike manner to await the
coming OF the ak.
The United States is not a mill
tary nation and never will be. We
have the great natural advantage
o. geographical isolation which ell
ables us to get along without a tre-
mendOus standing army. But this
does not justify the efforts of the
international pacifists who would
have us lead the way toward sem
eral disarmament by beating all our
swords into ploughshares before the
other nations even commence the
process. Doubtless many of these
pacifists are well meaning, bat they
have permitted their sentiment to
warp their judgment, if they have
any OF the last named quality.
A navy as good as the best and
a skeletonized army, capable of
rapid and effective expansion, to-
gether with a real air service and
an adequate merchant marine will
take care of us in the present and
the near future at least. But we
must see that we have these things
or some of these days we may re-
gret our foolish neglect.
The pacifists make progress be-
cause it is difficult to get the aver
age. citizen concerned about these
matters. He is busy and seems to
think that somehow it will come out
all right because it always has. AS
Pershing himself put it:
THE busy lives of present day Am
ericans too often absorb their
thoughts to the exclusion of that
consideration of the obligations of
on which a safe and
sound government under the Consti-
tuition rests" AS real Americans
we must see that we have an eff
cient though small army, a suff-
cient navy, real air service and
real merchant marine. These are
our insurance against future trou-
BILE and the premium we pay to
maintain them is more than reason
able considering the protection af- !
fOrded us.