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Show WHY NOT BE READY? Our well-informed contemporary, thp Springfield (Mass.) Republican, prints this editorial paragraph: Th" nf.oM affecting sluht in Concress is Captain llobson's feverish anxiety to preserve peace. The captain is too transparent trans-parent by far. Whnt ho wants Is to make sure that America will knock the stuffing out of the other fellow when the time come. Well, what' tho matter with that desire? "Why shouldn't every patriotic Americau want to makek sure thnt his country will knock the stuffing out of the other fellow when the timo conies? Those who in their sentimental opposition op-position to Avar, "would lay the country open and defenseless before tho predatory preda-tory nations of the world, rely on our prestige and position, claiming these to he our sufficient defense. But this ignores ig-nores I he tremendous sacrifices we havn made in men and nioney to obtain the prestige on which that boast is founded. The prestige must bo maintained, the position held; and these cannot be un-Jocs un-Jocs by the; strong arm for defense. It is idle for a mnn whosV stren-gth has departed to boast of the exploits of his youth and vigor; and it is just as idle for a nut ini to depend upon its past achievements for its present and futurp protection. It- must, be able to ropol all aggression, or aggression sure to come. Jt is objected that too much of the public revenues would be expended for military mirposcs by those possessed of the war spirit, if they could have their way. But (that is a mere evasion. It is. always a( ma tier 'of jtidgiucjit to dc- 1 f ermine how much shall be spent. Tho right rulo is to estimate tho strougth that, it might be practicnblo to bring against us, and bo sum to provide superior su-perior strength to that, so that we Khali bo safe. Applying tho rule to our west, coast, wo BUonld so fortify tho principal const ports as to make them impregnable, and for tho protection of the coast in general, we should have such a preponderance over Japan's navy na to make assurance doubly suro, in enso that doughty newcomer into the category of first-class powers should at any timo fancy that Uncle Sam had knocked the chip oft' its shoulder. To those who claim that seventy per cent of tho National revenue is spent for military purposes, it ought to bo enough to reph- that such a computation is a serious mistake. Tho expenditures of tho War Department for tho fiscal year ending .Tunc HO, 1007, wero $101,-671, $101,-671, SSI; of tho Navy Department, $97,-G06,5flo; $97,-G06,5flo; and in both cases these figures included the cost of conducting thn departments de-partments as well as war expenditures proper. Tho total revenues of the Nation Na-tion for the same year were $665,306,-LW. $665,306,-LW. So that, last year, the military ex-pouditures ex-pouditures Avcrc almost precisely SO per cent of tho revenues, and not 70 per cent. Tho rocord for tho current fiscal year will not materially Aar3' from that of last year, cxo.cpl oa tho actual treasury receipts imay fall short of tho estimated receipts. To those who would say that it is not tho mission of this country to fight, it may fairly bo said that it is tho mission mis-sion of every county to fight whenever it is necessary to fight for self-preser-A-ation, or to resist insults or aggression. aggres-sion. Tho Nation that cannot do this exists only on sufferance, and until it suits the purposc3 of tho warlike nations to partition it among themselves, Our geographical situation, it is true, is iu a Avay a vast protection to us. But through tho increase of effectiveness' effective-ness' in modern appliances for war, the isolation from powerful foes that avc haA-e ho long enjoyed, is made less and loss protective lo us. When it is demonstrated demon-strated that such a hugo battleship fleet as has just made tho enormous vo3'ago from Hampton Roads to San Diego, can sail so far with no injury, and ond tho journey in better condition than whon it was begun, the ocean is seen lo be no longer a barrier. And ns the predatory preda-tory instincts of most of tho European nations are ensilj- aroused, and thoir 03'es of prey arc .always largely on tho lookout for more and moro A'ictims for their r&paoitA. it is clearly the duty, the imperative, binding necessity, of the United States to keep in the van of military ofticiency. especially in its naval nowor, remembering alwvaya that "Over tho whole earth Still It Is Thor's-day." |