Show OUR PITIFUL WEAKNESS no one who knows anything about war will contend that the embattled farmers or other plain clothes patriots arni amount t to 0 much as a fighting force agat against in s t seasoned troops it was a handful of regulars which covered the letart of the defended union army at bull run bun and they might have succeeded in saving washington had not the confederates for the most part been about as green as the federals an inferior force of british once took the capital of this country after a militia defense so weak it was vas a joke regulars did most of the business busine gs of whipping spain regardless of the advertising given the colonel apa his rough riders the power powe of military training is greater than the layman who not of war would imagine hence there la Is no denying that this nation of a hundred million people and a mobile fighting force of fifty thousand would be picking for the foreign power which might head in this direction true our isolation I despite modern modem methods od of navigation and transportation is still a powerful defense backed by an adequate navy such as britian has it might give us a sense oi of security and time to prepare after the trouble really started but we have not an adequate navy a third or fourth rater it is at best and iti a very good what there althere is of it but our coast is long and our possessions scattered half across the world the navy protect it all and comparatively speaking we have no army we arent among those who fool themselves with the notion that preparedness means permanent peace but it does mean protection which is important if a storm should gather this is the richest country of the world with the possible exception of the british empire and the most populous of the western countries except russia and its military weakness is inexcusable except on the ground that there is to be no more war for us and being too proud or too right to fight save us from devastation if some militaristic power should see a chance to strike excuses for striking are always available even if they have to be manufactured for the occasion all of which should givel give he cause ind and food for solemn thought war is bad medicine and we wish there would be no more but war just now happens to be the principal occupation of the majority of the powers it is hoping for a good deal to believe that they will call a permanent halt when the present difficulty is ended atchison globe |