The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-07
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.

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THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
Quite the most notable feature OF
President Wilson's address to congress
is his emphatic reaffirmation of the
Monroe doctrine. He is particular to
call attention to the fact that nova
days there is no claim of guardian
ship or thought of wards on the part
of the United States toward any of
the nations in Central and South
America and that these nations now
realize this and that all of the gov
ernments of America stand, so far
as we are concerned, upon a footing
of genuine equality and unquestioned
Independence" But he states with
unmistakable clarity that we retain
undated the spirit that has inspired
us throughout the whole life of our
government and which was so frank
ly put into words by President Mon
roe" and he adds: I'VE still mean
always to make a common cause of
liberty in America So the presi-
dents address is lifted from the mere
realm of national importance to one
of international significance and it is
likely to be scrutinized more closely
home. And when the president gets
down to the discussion of national de-
Tense he declares that we do more
than insist upon security in prosecut
ing our seif-chosen lines of national
development. We demand it for 9TH
ers. We do not confine our enthusi-
asm for individual liberty and free
national development to the incidents
and movements of affairs which af-
feet only ourselves. We feel it wher
ever there is a people that tries to
walk in these difficult paths of indie
pendence and right. From the first
we have made common cause with all
partisans of liberty on this side of the
sea, and have deemed it as important
that our neighbors should be free
from all outside domination as that
we ourselves should be; have set
America aside as a whole for the uses
of independent nations and political
freemen."
This has been the historic attitude
of the United States, but it has sell
dom been so forcibly expressed. 1t
is patent as far as President Wilson
is concerned that the Monroe doctrine
is as virile as ever. if not more so, and
he commits the country to it most I'M
reservedly, or as far as a president is
able to commit the nation to any pol
icy. And it becomes mighty lever
in his argument for the larger army
and navy programs that have been de-
vised. 1t stands to reason that if we
notify the world that such is our pol
icy, we must be prepared to sustain
it at all times and larger army and
navy, a much larger navy especially,
would be needed for such purposes.
But it remains to be seen, of course,
to what extent congress and the peo-
pie will support this stand that the
president has taken. Certainly it
places his national defense plans in
rather new light. Ever since their
details were made known they have
been discussed pro and con as ap-
plying solely to defense of the ter
ritory and possessions of the United
States. But the president seems to
say that they are necessary for the
defense of the independence and po-
litical liberty of all the nations of all
the Americas, and that projects a de-
different problem into our ma
tional preparedness plans.
1nere Is sure TO De much OppOSi-
ton to it. A feeling has developed in
certain quarters in this country CT
late, and particularly among the ex-
treme pacifists that the Monroe doc
trine has outlived it's usefulness and
should be discarded because of the
tendency it might have to embroil us
in a war with one or more of the ma
lions of Europe. But the people of
this country as a whole have been
rather choice of the spirit of the
that comes to the United States
the independence of the na-
lions to the south of US, and it may
be that because of these feelings
many more of them than have done
so will look with more favor on the
national defense plans that the presi-
dent is supporting, the details of
which have been public -,operty for
some time and which he reiterates in
his address. The subdued words in
which he presents them rather robs
them of the sting Of 'militarisIn-"
And, as a matter of fact the danger
to this country of becoming a mill
taristic nation lies not so much in
the navy and army plans fathered
by the president as it does in the
adoption of such programs becoming
the opening wedge for n future build
ing of an army and navy without
end.