OCR Text |
Show Preparedness For War N one subject at least the head of Colonel H ' Roosevelt is eminently level. i H From the experience which the present Euro- H pean war supplies, he sees clearly enough that H pledges do not bind nations and believes that E while unprepared, we are liable to attack from H any power which thinkB it to its own Interest ' H to attack us, and that our unpreparedness to H meet such an emergency provides an invitation H for such attack. In his last book he says: H "The most important lesson for the United H States to learn from the present war is the vital H need that it shall at once take steps to prepare. H Prepardeness against war does not always avert H war or disaster in war, any more than the exist- H ence of a fire department that is, of prepared- jH ness against fire always averts fire. But it is H the only Insurance against war, and the only in- H surance against overwhelming disgrace and dis- H aster in war. Preparedness usually averts war H and usually prevents disaster in war; and al- H ways prevents disgrace in war. Unpre- H paredness has not the slightest effect in averting H war. Its only effect is immensely to increase the H likelihood of disgrace and disaster in war. H In 1914 this nation was paying for Its folly H in having for fourteen years conducted Its for- H elgn policy, and refused to prepare for defense H against possible foreign foes, in accordance with H the views of the ultra-pacificists of that day. It H behooves us now, in the presence of a world war jH even vaster and more terrible than the world H war of the early nineteenth century, to beware H of taking the advice of the equally foolish paci- H ficists of our own day." jH |