tice has attained most of the ends of civilization we
cherish to-day. The force of the million of mercenaries, collected
through Asia and Africa by Darius and Xerxes, to overwhelm a few Greek
cities, accomplished nothing permanent in history; but the force of the
ten thousand Athenians who fought at Marathon and of the other thousands
at Salamis, saved democracy for Europe and made possible the
civilization of the Occident. The force employed by King Louis of
France to support a tottering throne and continue the exploitation of
the people by an idle and selfish aristocratic caste, accomplished
nothing permanent in history; but the force of those Frenchmen who
marched upon Paris, singing the Marseillaise, made possible the freedom
and culture of the last hundred years. The force employed by King
George of England, to wring taxes without representation from reluctant
colonies, accomplished nothing permanent in history, but the force
which, at Bunker Hill and Concord Bridge, "fired the shot heard round
the world," achieved the liberty and democracy of the American
continent.

It may be freely admitted that all use of force is a confession of
failure to find a better way. If you use force in the education of a
child, it is such a confession of failure. So is it if force is used in
controlling defectives and criminals, or in adjusting the relations of
the nations; but note that the failure may be one for which the
individual parent, teacher, society, state or nation is in no degree
responsible. Force is a tragic weapon--and the ultimate one.

IX

PREPAREDNESS FOR SELF-DEFENSE

Since force is still the weapon of international justice, readiness and
willingness to use it for defense, when necessary, is then the first
condition of fulfilling the aims and serving the causes for which
America stands. In other words, since the relations of the nations are
still so largely those of individuals under the conditions of frontier
life, as with the honest man on the frontier, so for the
self-respecting, peace-loving nation to-day, it is well to carry a gun
and know how to shoot.

Carrying a gun is a dangerous practice, for two reasons: it may go off
in your pocket; you may get drunk and shoot when you ought not. Those
are the only two rational arguments against national preparation for
defense, in the present state of the world. Let us see. The gun may go
off in your pocket: that is, if a strong armament for def