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Show WAR IS A GAMBLE. Under the abovo heading the Butto Inter-Mountain reminds us there 13 too much boasting In this country. National self-confidence is a valuable asset Spread-eagleism cost us fifty battles, between Manassas and Gettysburg. Gettys-burg. A certain percent of Americans are confident that the American republic could defeat In war any other power; even mat it could repel invasion by the united powers. Perhaps this Is true and perhaps it is not War is a gamble Past achievements are never a criterion. The troops with whom Frederick the Great had held off all Europe made a miserable showing show-ing agalusf Bonaparto. Nothing Is more certain than that this country is not prepared, has never nev-er been prepared, and Is unlikely in the Immediate, future to be preparod, for a struggle with a similar power. We have men and money and ships; but we lack, we woefully lack, many essential accessories to these three. The Spanish war showed plainly that wo lacked commanders with suf flcient experience to lay out a great camp. If our men died like sheep In Chlckamauga and Montauk, on sites selected after deliberation within our own boundaries, how would they die In Japan, in sites forced upon us by hostile armies? If we found difficulty in feeding a small army in Cuba, how could wo feed in Japan an army large enough to venture an invasion? This hurts our national pride, but the questions ques-tions are worth answering. Where is our great army for such a war? In the militia? They are ill-armed ill-armed and Inexperienced. Who Is to command such an army? We have not a single general with experience at commanding more than three corps. Our small arms are not uniform. We have not sufficient field artillery for a force of half-a-mllllon men; while our cavalry is insignificant in numbers. It is perhaps true that the personnel of our forces is unexcelled. The sons of the victors at Manassas and at Get- tjsburg ought to be as good soldiers as their fathers. But personal valor no longer decides war, unless supplemented supple-mented by suitable war material. |