Page 138 - The interest of America in sea power, present and future

Anglo-American Reunion. 119

intestine troubles, and ultimately dependent,
not upon its mere elaboration of organization,
but upon the power of that organization to ex-
press itself in a menacing and efficient attitude
of physical force, sufficient to resist the numeri-
cally overwhelming, but inadequately organized
hosts of outsiders. Under present conditions
these are diked off by the magnificent mili-
tary organizations of Europe, which also as
yet cope successfully with the barbarians with-
in. Of what the latter are capable — at least
in will — we have from time to time, and not
least of late, terrific warnings, to which men
scarcely can shut their eyes and ears ; but suffi-
cient attention hardly is paid to the possible
dangers from those outside, who are wholly
alien to the spirit of our civilization ; nor do
men realize how essential to the conservation
of that civilization is the attitude of armed
watchfulness between nations, which is main-
tained now by the great states of Europe.
Even if we leave out of consideration the invalu-
able benefit to society, in this age of insubordi-
nation and anarchy, that so large a number
of youth, at the most impressionable age,
receive the lessons of obedience, order, respect