Arizona republican., 1914-12-09
PRESIDENT READS
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 (Continued From Page Three) and experienced business men would organize them if they had clean sheet of paper to write upon. Ger tainly the government of the United States is not. think that it is gen. orally agreed that there should be systematic reorganization and reas- sembling of it's parts so as to secure greater efficiency and effect consid- erable saving in expense. But the amount of money saved in that way would, I believe, though no doubt considerable in itself, running it may be, into the millions, be relatively small-small l mean, in proportion to the total necessary outlaws of the government. It would be thoroughly worth effecting as every saving would, great or small. Our duty is not altered by the scale of the saving. But my point is that the people of the United States do not wish to curtail the activities of this government; they wish, rather to en- large them, and with every enlarge ment, with the mere growth, indeed, of the country itself there must come, of course, the inevitable in crease of expense. The sort of eco nomy we ought to practice may be effected. and ought to be effected. by careful study and assessment of the tasks to be perfOrmed; and the money spent ought to be made to yield the best possible returns in eff ilclency and achievement. And. like good stewards, we should so account Tor every dollar of our appropriations as to make it perfectly evident what 1t was spent for and in what way it was spent.
 II IS not expenditure but extrav- agance that we should fear being crlticlzed for; not paying for the leg ltlmate enterprises and unertakings Of great government whose people command what it should do but add ing what will benefit only few or pouring money out for what need not have been undertaken at all might have been postponed or better and more economically conceived and carried out. The nation IS moi nis sardly; it is very generous. Ii will chide us only if We forget for whom We pay money out and whose money It IS we pay. They are large and general standards, but they are not very difficult of application to pafti- cular cases.
 The other topic l shall take leave to mention goes deeper into the prin- ciples of our national life and policy. It IS the subject of national defense.
 It can not be discussed without flrst answering some very searching questions. It is said in some quar- ters that We are not prepared for war. What is meant by being pre- pared? Is it meant that we are not ready upon brief notice to put a na- tion in the field, a nation of men trained to arms? Of course we are not ready to do that; and we shall never be in time of peace so long as we retain our present political prin- ciples and institutions. And what is it that it is suggested we should be prepared to do? To defend ourselves against attack? We have always found means to do that, and shall find them whenever it is necessary without calling our people away from their necessary tasks to render con- pulsory military service in times of peace.
 Allow me to speak with great plain ness and directness upon this great | matter and to express my convictions with great earnestness. I have tried to know what America is, what her people think, what they are, what they most cherish and hold dear | hope that some of their finer pas sions are in my own heart-some of | the great conceptions and desires which gave birth to this government