IsupposetheUnitedStateswillalwaysbeunreadyforwar，andinconsequencewillalwaysbeexposedtogreatexpense，andtothepossibilityofthegravestcalamity，whentheNationgoestowar。Thisisnonewthing。Americanslearnonlyfromcatastrophesandnotfromexperience。
Therewouldhavebeennowarin1812if，inthepreviousdecade，America，insteadofannouncingthat“peacewasherpassion。”insteadofactingonthetheorythatunpreparednessavertswar，hadbeenwillingtogototheexpenseofprovidingafleetofascoreofshipsoftheline。However，inthatcase，doubtlesstheverymenwhointheactualeventdeploredthelossoflifeandwasteofcapitalwhichtheirownsupinenesshadbroughtaboutwouldhaveloudlyinveighedagainstthe“excessiveandimpropercostofarmaments“；soitallcametoaboutthesamethingintheend。
ThereisnomorethoroughgoinginternationalMrs。Gummidge，andnomoreutterlyuselessandoftenutterlymischievouscitizen，thanthepeace-at-any-price，universal-arbitrationtypeofbeing，whoisalwayscomplainingeitheraboutwarorelseaboutthecostofthearmamentswhichactastheinsuranceagainstwar。Thereiseveryreasonwhyweshouldtrytolimitthecostofarmaments，asthesetendtogrowexcessive，butthereisalsoeveryreasontorememberthatinthepresentstageofcivilizationaproperarmamentisthesurestguaranteeofpeace——andistheonlyguaranteethatwar，ifitdoescome，willnotmeanirreparableandoverwhelmingdisaster。
Inthespringof1897PresidentMcKinleyappointedmeAssistantSecretaryoftheNavy。IowedtheappointmentchieflytotheeffortsofSenatorH。C。LodgeofMassachusetts，whodoubtlesswasactuatedmainlybyhislongandclosefriendshipforme，butalso——Iliketobelieve——byhiskeeninterestinthenavy。ThefirstbookIhadeverpublished，fifteenyearspreviously，was“TheHistoryoftheNavalWarof1812“；andIhavealwaystakentheinterestinthenavywhicheverygoodAmericanoughttotake。AtthetimeIwrotethebook，intheearlyeighties，thenavyhadreacheditsnadir，andwewerethenutterlyincompetenttofightSpainoranyotherpowerthathadanavyatall。Shortlyafterwardswebegantimidlyandhesitatinglytobuildupafleet。Itisamusingtorecalltheroundaboutstepswetooktoaccomplishourpurpose。InthereactionafterthecolossalstruggleoftheCivilWarourstrongestandmostcapablemenhadthrowntheirwholeenergyintobusiness，intomoney-making，intothedevelopment，andabovealltheexploitationandexhaustionatthemostrapidratepossible，ofournaturalresources——mines，forests，soil，andrivers。
Thesemenwerenotweakmen，buttheypermittedthemselvestogrowshortsightedandselfish；andwhilemanyofthemdownatthebottompossessedthefundamentalvirtues，includingthefightingvirtues，otherswerepurelyoftheglorifiedhucksterorglorifiedpawnbrokertype——whichwhendevelopedtotheexclusionofeverythingelsemakesaboutaspooranationaltypeastheworldhasseen。Thisunadulteratedhucksterorpawnbrokertypeisrarelykeenlysympatheticinmattersofsocialandindustrialjustice，andisusuallyphysicallytimidandlikestocoveranunworthyfearofthemostjustwarunderhigh-soundingnames。