Page 223 - The interest of America in sea power, present and future

204 Preparedness for Naval War.

far as possible, — to compromise between ideal
proficiency for probable contingencies, and the
actual demands of the existing and usual con-
ditions of peace. Although inevitable, the
compromise is unsatisfactory, and yields but
partial results in either direction. The econo-
mist still deplores and resists the loss of pro-
ducers, — the military authorities insist that the
country is short of its necessary force. To
obviate the difficulty as far as possible, to meet
both of the opposing demands, resort is had
to the system of reserves, into which men pass
after serving in the active force for a period,
which is reduced to, and often below, the
shortest compatible with instruction in their
duties, and with the maintenance of the active
forces at a fixed minimum. This instruction
acquired, the recipient passes into the reserve,
leaves the life of the soldier or seaman for that
of the citizen, devoting a comparatively brief
time in every year to brushing up the knowl-
edge formerly acquired. Such a system, under
some form, is found in services both voluntary
and compulsory.
It is scarcely necessary to say that such a
method would never be considered satisfactory