In 1907 Mr. Taft, then Secretary of War, said in speaking of a work of Mr. Frederic L. Huidekoper, entitled Is the United States Prepared for War__that every American who has the defense of his country at heart ought to read Mr. Huidekoper's article. Every one who has read this condensed and able statement can have but one opinion as to its value.

Mr. Huidekoper has just completed a most admirable work dealing with our military history and policy from the beginning of our national history up to the present day. It follows the general lines of that able presentation of these subjects by General Emory Upton in his great work, The Military Policy of the United States. Mr. Huidekoper has endeavored to present these subjects in a rather more condensed form with reference to certain portions of our history, and has greatly amplified them in others through the addition of much new and valuable material. That portion covering the period from the end of the Civil War to the present time is especially valuable as it embodies a compilation of data not heretofore presented. The references are well arranged, and are in great detail, and the whole work is characterized by good arrangement.

This work of Mr. Huidekoper's is one which should be read, and carefully read, by all Americans who are interested in the military history and policy of their country, and who desire to replace our past haphazard policy by one which will be adequate to secure a reasonable degree of preparedness without in any way building up a condition of militarism. Mr. Huidekoper presents with such effectiveness the folly of our past policy and its great and unnecessary expense in life and treasure, that one who reads with an average degree of intelligence cannot escape the conviction that a continuance of the policy of unpreparedness, blindly trusting to chance, which has characterized and dominated our military policy in the past, and a continuance of the methods employed in raising and maintaining armies, can have but one end___national disaster. Our people have forgotten, in the rush and turmoil incident to the development of the national resources and the industries of our great country, the unnecessary cost both in blood and treasure of our past wars, and remember only that somehow or other we emerged from them successfully. Ignorance concerning our military history is universal and profound.

Our school histories, whatever their intent, do not give a correct impression of our military history, and say little or nothing about the methods employed in the building up and maintenance of our armies in peace and war. Our children are taught nothing about the dangers of trusting to voluntary service in war, and are told little about the most pernicious of all systems___the bounty system, with its attendant demoralization, desertions and resulting degradation of the individual sense of responsibility for military service. If there is anything which is brought out with special emphasis in connection with modern war it is the necessity of thorough preparation___of a preparation which in its scope recognizes the necessity for the organization of the resources of the nation, in men, money and material, not with a view to having them always ready as a standing army, but with a view to having them ready so that they may become immediately available in case of war, and prepared so that each element of the fighting machine may be well balanced and ready to discharge its particular function. The organization of the military resources of a nation today involves the training of practically the entire male population, through systems of varying intensity and thoroughness, all having as an object the establishment of such a state of training and organization as will render it possible to apply the full military strength of the nation in the minimum time.

This may be accomplished under the systems employed by Switzerland and Australia, which I believe are best adapted for our purposes and most in accord with our ideals, or under such a system as that employed by France, where in addition to being ready it is necessary to maintain actually in service a very considerable army. However preparedness is to be brought about, it must be done in time of peace. Not only does this apply to the training of men, but it applies with equal force to the preparation of material, for the weapons of today are infinitely more complicated than those of our fathers. The time necessary to instruct in their use is much greater, and improvements in transportation have enormously reduced the period of an enemy's approach, so that everything now is in the favor, to an extent never before known, of the prepared nation, and the unprepared, unready, pacific country has less chance of successful resistance than ever before. The words of John Adams in his second message"___may well be heeded by the people of today, and those who have their country's safety at heart may take unto themselves with profit the words of Lord Roberts and make the sentiment they express their own___"Strive to stir up, to foster and develop, the manly and patriotic spirit in the nation__the spirit which will induce our youth to realize that they must be not only ready but prepared to guard the heritage handed down to them.?

Any one who reads Mr. Huidekoper's book will, I am sure, realize the necessity of following this advice.

Our people must remember that there is nothing in the experience of the past or in the conditions of today which in any way justifies the assumption that wars are past. While we should strive for world peace and endeavor to settle our international difficulties by arbitration, we cannot, unless we are unworthy of the trust handed down to us, fail to make adequate preparation to defend our heritage. We must not forget that there is many a peace which is worse than war. We have never yet waged war single-handed with a first class nation prepared for war. Our people know nothing of what such a struggle means; they have no conception of the effect of the application of well organized and thoroughly prepared military force. A careful perusal of Mr. Huidekoper's work will aid them in reaching sound conclusions as to our needs in the way of military preparedness, and give them many valuable suggestions as to the methods to be adopted to meet them.

Major General Leonard Wood, M.H.
Former Chief of Staff of the United States Army.