Militarism Spreads to the Western World
THE militarism of Europe is getting a hold upon the Western world. The Independent mentions that “General Körner, a German officer, has for a number of years been at the head of the military system of Chile, and his influence has at last prevailed to have a law enacted requiring every citizen between the ages of eighteen and forty-eight to render military service for at least one year. The natural result is that Chile’s rival, Argentina, with whom she divided Patagonia a few years ago, is arming fast and trying to introduce obligatory military service, while Peru is making popular subscriptions for war-ships, and Bolivia has applied to Germany for military instructors.” Once introduced in this hemisphere, militarism will naturally spread like the plague; for when one nation adopts it, all its neighbors feel bound to do so for self-preservation. And it is a plague no way has been devised of stamping out.