Chapter II: Foreword

_Would it interest you to know_ that the people of the United States, having first blindfolded themselves with the self-complacence of ignorance, are walking along the crest of a ridge with a precipice on one side falling sheer into the abyss of devastation by war with an invading foreign power, while on the other side boils the seething crater of a social volcano?

If so, _you will be convinced of that fact_, if you will carefully and thoughtfully read this book through from cover to cover; and _you will also be convinced_ that the only road to safety is that pointed out in this book.

Would you not feel that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" when reflecting on the ease with which any of the Great European Powers could _again_ occupy and burn Washington, as it was burned in 1814, and capture and levy an enormous indemnity upon New York?

Would you contemplate with indifference and equanimity _the annexation of the Pacific Coast of the United States to Japan_?

Has it occurred to you that, unless we wake up, mend our ways and change our national policy, war is ultimately as inevitable between the United States and Japan as it has been for years between France and Germany?

_Would it interest you to know_ that in the event of such a war the Japanese would be found fully prepared, while we are utterly unprepared; and that Japan would, within ten days, mobilize an army in California large enough to insure to them its military control; and that within four weeks thereafter they would land an army of 200,000 veteran soldiers on the Pacific coast?

_Would it interest you to know_ that in such an emergency our navy would be impotent to check this occupation and invasion, and that our so-called but now confessedly misnamed coast defenses would be about as much protection as a large load of alfalfa hay; and that as part of this military occupancy by Japan of the territory lying between the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains and the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese would dynamite every tunnel, destroy the Colorado River railroad bridges, and fortify the mountain passes; and that the recapture of one pass by the United States would be a more difficult military undertaking for us than was the capture of Port Arthur or Tsing-Tao by the Japanese?

_Would it interest you to know_ that the very real danger that California, Western Oregon, and Western Washington may be annexed to Japan and a thousand miles of deserts and inaccessible mountain ranges, instead of the Pacific Ocean, separate Japan from the United States, is a danger that exists because not one in ten thousand of the people of the United States will give the slightest heed to this question, which overshadows in importance every other question affecting the people of the United States?

_Would it interest you to know_ that there is just as much, and more, danger that the desolating flames of war may sweep over and devastate Southern California as there was that they might sweep over and devastate Belgium? You doubtless will say, "That is impossible!" You would have said the same thing a year ago about Belgium, with much more of assurance and positive conviction.

_Would it interest you to know_ that the doing of the things that would insure peace forever between the United States and Japan, as well as all European nations, would at the same time end all danger from the ravages of destructive floods, stop forest fires, perpetuate our forest resources, preserve the forest and woodland cover on our watersheds, create a great national system of inland waterways, reclaim every reclaimable acre of arid or swamp and overflow land in the United States, and reduce the cost of living by doubling the agricultural production of this country within ten years?

_Would it interest you to know_ that the doing of the same things would end child labor, end woman labor in factories, end unemployment, end the whole multitude of evil and vicious influences that are degenerating humanity and deteriorating the race in the congested cities of this country, and safeguard the United States against the internal as well as the external dangers that now menace its future welfare?

_Would it interest you to know_ that the doing of those same things would inaugurate an era of business prosperity, based on human welfare and advancement, instead of on human exploitation, and would insure the perpetuity of that prosperity?

_Would it interest you to know_ that the things which it is proposed shall be done by the United States have already been done, practically and successfully, by Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand; and that they can and will be done in this country whenever the people wake up and decide to do something for themselves instead of waiting for somebody else to do it for them.

If you doubt any of the foregoing statements, _read the book_; and you will be convinced of their _absolute truth_ and you will be appalled at the magnitude of the preventable calamity that menaces the people of the United States solely because of their heedlessness, indifference, and refusal to face facts.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I Page

SHALL THERE BE AN END OF WAR? 1

Question may be answered in the affirmative by the
United States?--Facts must be made known to the
people--Nationwide educational campaign is
necessary--Every individual must be aroused to
action--Appalling consequences of triumph of
militarism--United States must lead the world in its
overthrow--Cannot be dependent for peace on cooperation
of other nations--Appalling losses may result from
public apathy and indifference--Necessity for national
policy for flood prevention--Naval is out of
balance--Other things more needed than
battleships--Nationalisation of manufacture of
armaments and battleships--There must be an end of
private profit from such manufacture--It inspires
militarism and stimulates war.

CHAPTER II

INADEQUACY OF MILITARIST PLANS FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE 24

Militarists believe war inevitable--Urge United States
is unprepared--Peace Advocates leave to Militarists all
plans for National Defense--Militarists have no
adequate plan--Enormous cost of large standing
army--Menace of a military despotism--No reliance can
be placed on State Militia--Impracticability of a
Reserve composed of men who have served in the Regular
Army--War must be recognised as a
possibility--Hypocrisy of opposition to war by those
who profit from so-called civilized warfare--Peace
Propaganda must be harmonized with national
defense--All plans far world Peace have thus far proved
futile--United States spends enormous sums on Army
without any guarantee of national defense--The
Frankenstein of War can be controlled.

CHAPTER III

IMPREGNABLE DEFENSE AGAINST FOREIGN INVASION 44

Plans for national defense must primarily operate to
prevent war--Reasons why War Department will never
devise satisfactory system--Militarists have no
sympathy with peace movement--It aims to render
military profession obsolete--Standing Army is economic
waste of money and men--It should be a great
educational institution--Chairman Hay of Committee on
Military Affairs, House of Representatives, shows
enormous cost of Standing Army and impracticability of
Reserve as proposed by Army Officers--Comparison of
Military Expenditures and Results in United States and
Japan--Increase of Standing Army to 200,000 would be
futile and unwarranted--European War will not bring
disarmament--Warning of Field Marshal Earl
Roberts--Standing Army promotes military spirit which
increases danger of war.

CHAPTER IV

NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION RESERVE 74

Enlistment of Construction Corps in government Services
in time of peace--Transformation of same organization
into military force in time of war--National forces
must be organized for conflict to save, not destroy,
life and property--Forest Service and Reclamation
Service work should be done by Reservists enlisted in
Construction Corps--Same system should be adopted in
all government services--Construction Reserve to be so
trained as to instantly become army of trained soldiers
whenever needed--More than work enough in time of peace
for a million Reservists--planting forests--fighting
forest fires--preventing floods--irrigating
deserts--draining swamps--building highways, waterways,
and railways--Importance of safeguarding nation against
destruction by Nature's invading forces.