ABSTRACT
"Preparedness" and "Adequate Defense" are purely relative terms. There are few who believe in no preparedness, in defenselessness. There are, however, many whose doctrines approach perilously close to the worst sort of Prussian militarism. If the paraders once analyzed their motives, they would know that it is futile. They are making no real sacrifices to march. The parades look like a unanimous vote that someone else should "prepare". Yet it is hard to blame them. Marching is more fun than working at the usual job, especially when the pay goes on just the same. The acid test of an honest preparedness enthusiasm, if the paraders be grimly certain that our country is really in peril, must be an eagerness to enlist in the army or navy or to offer their services directly to the nation. The patriotism behind the preparedness parade is mainly that of bands, flags, and conviviality, as artificial as it is ineffective.
