Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-18
TAFT SCORES WAR
SCARE BUT URGES
FORTS At CANAL
President Declares $400,000,-
600 Investment at Panama
Must Be Protected
IMPORTANT HARB0RS SAFE
Opposes Large Standing Army
but Wants the Militia
Strengthened
Associated Press)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.-President
Taft, addressing the closing banquet
tonight of the American Society fol
Judicial Settlement of International
Disputes, allayed the so-called "wa1
scare which has furnished pabulum for
newspapers in the last few days" He
said:
There is not the slightest reason for
such a sensation because we are at
peace with all the nations of the world
and are 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
arbitration and universal peace.
The president summarized the condi-
tion of the national defenses and urged
that a policy of wise military pre-
paredness" be pursued He emphasized
the fact that the American people new
ed would consent to the maintenance
of a standing army sufficient to cope
with that of the greater powers.
WANTS MEN AVAILABLE
He urged the retention of the present
army, the improvement of the militia,
the passage of the pending volunteer
bill to be operative should war be de-
viding for a force of additional officers
"who will be able in time of peace to
render efficient service in drilling the
militia of the states" and finally, the
accumulation of guns and ammunition
"to equip and arm the force we could
collect under the colors in an emer-
gency."
President Taft asserted the best
method of ultimately securing disarm-
fxYsa, Ctoh n
lishment of an international court and
the development of code of interna-
tional equity Declaring the country
has not reached a point where war is
impossible, he cited the Panama canal
question. He said: s,r.sss s.
Take the question OF the Paname
canal We have a property which
when completed, will be worth $400 000,-
000-at least it will have cost us that
1t has been built not alone to further
the cause of the worlds commerce, but
also to bring our eastern and western
seaboards closer together and to secure
us the military benefit enabling our
naval fleet to pass quickly from one
ocean to the other. Now the works OF
the canal are of such character that
a warship might easily put the canal
out of commission.
"Fortifications are the best and most
against the attack of some irrespon-
sible nation or armed force.
at seems to me that we ought to
put ourselves in a position with refer
ence to this very valuable and delicate
piece of property, so that should any
nation forget it's obligation we will be
in a position to prevent unlawful in
jury to this instrument of commerce
so valuable to the world and so in
dispensable to u.s."
The president said the United States
had excellent coast defenses for every
important harbor that an enemy would
enter He summarized the prepared
ness of the country for war by saying:
1--WE probably ought to see to it that
we have ammunition and guns enough
for ready use in cases of emergency
We have a small but very efficient
army of 80, 900 men. We have a militie
of about 125,0OO men. The army is sc
| constituted that we could enlarge II
from a skeleton organization into q
much larger body. We ought to have
more trained officers so as to furnish
the teachers to a larger body of mer
that war might require us to enlist. >