The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-12-18
MAKES ADDRESS AT BANQUET
or PEACE ADVOCATES AT
WASHINGTON
NO REASON FOR ALARM
Says People viii Not Consent to
Maintenance OF Army Sufficient
to Cope With Largest Pow.
ers--Spoke Ct Canal.


Taft, addressing the closing. banquet
tonight of the American Society for
the Judicial Settlement of Interna-
tional d sputes, allayed the "so-called
war scare which has furnished
rabulum for newspapers during the
last few days. He declared:
There is not the slightest reason
for such sensation, because we are
at peace with all the nations of the
world, and quite likely to remain so !"
He said his purpose in outlining
the preparedness of the United
States for war "at peace meeting"
was to show by contrast the great
worthiness of the movement for
permanent: court of arbitral justice
and universal peace, The presi lent
summarized the condition of national
defense and urged that policy o.
wise military preparation" be pur
sued. He emphasized the fact that
the American people would never
consent to the maintenance of
standing army sufficient to cope with
those of the greater powers. He
urged the retention of the present
regular army, improvement of the ma.
tional guard, the passage of the pend
ing volunteer bill to go into opera
tion should war be declared, and the
passage of the law now before con
gress providing force OF addiioua'
officers who will be "able in tines g.
peace to render efficient service in
drilling the militia of the states" and
finally the accumulation OF guns and
ammunition, so that, to equip AMI
arm force would be easy In an
emergency"
Taft said the best method ultimate
ly of securing disarmament among
the nations was the establishment of
an international code.
Declaring that the country has not
reached the point where war is i'm.
possible, he cited the Panama canal
question. He said 1t will cost $400,.
100000.
1t was not built alone to further
the worlds commerce, but to bring
our seaboards closer together. He
said the work rs now of such char
acter that warship could put the
canal out of commission The United
States had treaty rights to erect for
tifications and said the Notifications
were the best methods OF protection
Of the canal against an irresponsible
foe.
He said that to induce all nations
to realize that the canal was for com
merce all right, but nations, like men.
are liable TO violate obligations in
war die then said:
1T seems to me that we ought to
put ourselves in a position so that,
should any nation forget it's obliga.
ton, we will be in a position to pre-
vent unlawful injury to this instru-
ment of commerce, so valuable to the
world"
Regarding the preparedness Of the
Iatiou for war. Taft said:
I'VE have a small but efficient
army Of 10000 and an organized state
militia of 125,000. There has been
much talk in the papers and congress
on the supposed helpless condition OF
this country in case of war. Much of
ii La unjustified, The nation has a
navy that ought to prevent an invad-
ing army coming across the sea-"
The people OF this country, said
Taft, would never consent to stand
ing army which military experts will
pronounce large enough to cope with
the trmies of other powers shouli
they ever get by our navy and coast
defense. The president said:
II This leaves us In position OF
hehoessess, then so be it. For those
who understand the popular will of
this country know that 1t cannot be
otherwise"
"A little more forethought. little
more attention to the matter on the
rat Of congress and we shall have
all the army all the navy and all
the material of war we ought to
have, in republic, situated as we are
S.reO nlffrEon one and 5000 miles on
the other from any cource of hostile
INVASION"