The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1915-11-11
We MUST PREPARE:
SAYS PRESIDENT
Larger Army and Rapidly Built
Up Navy Called For.
PLAN OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
Mr.. Wilson, Addressing Manhattan
Club at Fiftieth Anniversary Din.
ner, Asks Support for Admin
istration Program.

New York, Nov. 6.-President Will
son was the guest of honor and the
principal speaker at the fiftieth ami
versary dinner of the Manhattan club
last night at the Biltmore hotel.
There was great gathering of distin-
guished men, and the chief executive
took the occasion to tell them and the
country what his administration is
planning in the way Of national de-
fense
Our ambition, said Mr.. Wilson. is
not only te be free and prosperous
ourselves. but also to be the friend
and thoughtful partisan of those who
are free or who desire freedom the
world over. We shall, he declared he
believed, never again take another
foot Of territory by conquest, or seek
to make an Independent people sub
ject to our dominion. Because of the
great European conflict, said the pres
1dent. from one end of our own dear
country to the other men are asking
one another what our own force is,
how far we are prepared to maintain
ourselves against any interference
with our action or development"
Though the mission of America in
the world is essentially a mission of
peace and good will among men, de-
clared Mr.. Wilson, we feel justified in
preparing ourselves to vindicate our
right to Independent and unmolested
action by making the force that is in
us ready for assertion.
Plans for the Army.
And we know" continued the pres
{dent, that we can do this in way
that will be itself an illustration of the
American spirit. In accordance witt,
our American traditions we want and
Shall work for only an army adequate
to the constant and legitimate uses Of
times OF international peace. But we
do want to feed that there is a great
body OF citizens who have received at
least the most rudimentary and neces-
Bary forms Of military training; that
they will be ready to form themselves
into a fighting force at the call of the
nation: and that the nation has the
munitions and supplies with which to
equip them without delay should it be
necessary to call them into action.
We wish to supply them with the
training they need, and we think we
can do so without calling them at any
os1
pursuits.
1T is with this idea, with this con-
ceptfon in mind that the plans have
been made which it will be my privt-
tege to lay before the congress at its
next session. That plan calls for only
such an increase in the regular army
II the United States as experience has
proved to be required for the perform.
ance OF the necessary duties of the
army in the Philippines. in Hawaii, in
Porto Rico, upon the borders of the
United States, at the coast fortified.
tons, and at the military posts of the
Interior. Fer the rest, it calls for the
training within the next three years
Of force Of 100000 citizen soldiers to
be raised in annual contingents of 1873,
300, who would be asked to enlist for
three years with the colors and three
years on Through, but who during
their three years OF enlistment with
the colors would not be organized as
standing force but would be expect.
ed merely to undergo intensive train.
Ing for a very brief period of each
year. Their training would take place
In immediate association with the or.
ganized units Of the regular army. II
would have no touch of the amateur
about 1t, neither would it exact of the
volunteers more than they could give
In any ono year from their civilian
pursuits.
And none of this would be Jcne in
such way as in the slis&fae: degree
70 supersede or subordinate our pres
emit scrviceable and efficient Nationa1
Guard. On the contrary. the National
Guard itself would be used as a part
II the instruIaentality by which train
Ing would be given the citizens who
enlisted under the new conditions, and
should hope and expect that the leg
I'LL