Life — June 29, 1916 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUNE 29,1916 “While there ts Life there's Hope"* VOL. 67 No, 1757 Published By LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY J. A. Mitcnece, Pres’t A. Miter, Sec'y and Treas. 17 West Thirty-first Street, New York English Offices, Rolls House, Breams Bldgs., London, E. C. F we must have trouble by wholesale with Carranza, this is a good time to have it Nothing is happening to us just at this moment in Eu- rope that requires military exertions. We are much worked up about the duty of military preparation and have lately passed laws that look to make a more serviceable reliance of the militia. Now it is as though Carranza was offering us a training field for martial exercises. We shall find out, first, what militia troops we can really put into the field, what training they will need, and what equipment can be provided for them. We can practice transpor- tation and all the details of spending money on an army. We can find out how many machine guns we have now, and whether the Mexicans (as is as- serted) have several times as many One reads already that Mexico can call ovt about half a mil- lion valuable, seasoned troops. That is doubtless four-fifths exaggeration, but we can find out about it, and that will be excellent practice. Considered as a preparatory exercise, this. flurry with Mexico could hardly have come at a more suitable time. A drawback is that by the almanac this is summer, and Mexico is pretty hot. Nevertheless, this summer is the best time for this exercise, because in this period between presidential nomi- nations and election the zeal and patriotism of all politicians are at the hottest. The four months now begin- ning constitute the quadrennial season as we have. of appeal to the people; a season in which no administration that has put its hand to the plough can afford to turn back, and in which no out-party can hope to get in except by showing more zeal for the national welfare than the in-party. If Carranza really insists on war the administration and the Democratic Congress must demonstrate military efficiency or prepare themselves for marching orders. Between this and November Watchful-Waiting will yield the ring to Git-Up-and-Git. Besides this war—if it turns out that we are in for onc—we shall have:a lively po- litical race going on at home. Here- tofore the administration has been run- ning against time. Now it has a lively competitor to speed it up. TR campaign needed some enliven- ment. The platforms were too much alike to offer any sharp issue of public policy, and it has seemed to be much the same with the candidates. In all platforms the points that are most emphasized are Americanism and pre- paredness. Democrats and Republ as represented in the conventions seemed to think alike on these matters, and the contest was to see who could say so hardest. The most interesting novelty in either platform was the Democratic suggestion, transplanted from Mr. Wilson’s speech before the League to Enforce Peace, that “the time has come when it is the duty of the United States to join with the other nations of the world in any feas- ible association” to insure due con- sideration for small states, guard the world’s peace and safeguard commerce. That is really a forward-looking dec- laration. Bro. Bryan says there is nothing in it because “only a ‘feasible association’ is advocated, and no asso- ciation will be found feasible that re- quires this country to entangle itself in the quarrels of Europe.” But Bro. Bill is not a great political influence this year, and his mud-turtle concep- tion of peace by pulling your head into your shell has had its turn and will not be dangerous again. Very differ- ent is the estimate of Mr. A. G. Gar- diner of the London News of this suggestion which has now received the Democratic endorsement. He describes “ it as “opening a new chapter in the history of civilization” and giving Eu- rope a hope to be saved from recur- rences of self-destruction which by itself it cannot hope to avert. THs is the biggest idea the conven- tions have yielded—the idea, not to force peace now on the warring nations before they are ready for but to take a hand in world protection after this war is fought out. If we are to count for anything in that di- rection we must demonstrate that we have in us due ginger and due poten- tialities of destructive activity. No one who cannot demonstrate potential efficiency in destruction can hope to be much respected just now as a fac- tor in averting destruction. That is the main excuse for military prepara- tion, which in itself lacks attraction. There are better ways of having fun than soldiering, and more productive employments for time and strength, but so long as the world’s peace con- tinues to be a balance of destructive energies, we should stand in with due weight to restore and keep that balance. The inconvenience and fatuity and unprofitableness of habitual soldiering on any extended scale would dread- fully bore our people and make them want to have it over, and blow up all the war in the world, once for all. comicbooks.com