The Delta independent., 1915-12-10

the summons comes to render them
selves Immediately available and i'm
mediately effective. And the govern
! ment must be their servant in this
matter, must SUPPLY them with the
training they need to take care of
themselves and of it. The military
arm of their government, which they
Will not allow to direct them, they
may properly use to serve them and
make their independence secure-and
not their own independence merely,
but the rights also of those with whom
they have made common cause, should
they also be put in jeapordy"
For it is a question of independ-
ence,' he asserted. "If other nations
go to war or seek to hamper each
others commerce, our merchants. it
seems are at their mercy, to do with
as they please. We must use their
ships, and use them as they deter
mine Our independence is provin-
c1al, and is only on land and within
our own borders. We are not likely
to be permitted to use the ships of
other nations in rivalry of their own
trade, and are without means to ex-
| tend our commerce even where the
doors are wide open and our goods
desired. Such situation is not to
be endured. 1t is of capital import
ance not only that the United States
ha
and enjoy the economic independence
which only an adequate merchant
marine would give it, but also that the
American hemisphere as whole
should enjoy like independence and
self-sufficiency, if it is not to be
drawn into the tangle of European
affairs
In outlining the financial condition
OF the government. the President fol-
lowed closely the statement recently
given out by Secretary McAdoo. He
said that the additional revenue re-
| quired to carry out the program of
military and naval preparation would
be S93,SOO.OOO for the fiscal year 1917;
that if the present taxes were con-
tinued throughout this year and the
next there would be a balance in the
Treasury of about s76,50O.OOO at the
end of the present fiscal year and a
deficit at the end of the next year of
some Sl12,OOO,OOO. reconing in S62,-
100000 for deficiency appropriations.
The President said there was reason
to hope that no question in contro-
versy between this and other govern
ments would lead to any serious
breach of amicable relations, and that
he was sorry to say that the gravest
threats against national peace and
safety had been uttered within tbs
country's own borders
There are citizens of the United
States, blush to admit" he declared,
born under other flags but vel
coined under our generous naturaliza-
tion laws to the full freedom and op-
rortunity of America, who have
poured the poison of disloyalty into
the very arteries OF our national life;
who have sought to bring the author
ity and good name of our government
into contempt, and to destroy our
industries.
Regarding the railroads, the Presi-
dent said there had been reason to
fear that they could not much longer
cope with the transportation prob
lem, and suggested it would be wise
to provide for a commission of in
quiry to ascertain whether the laws
as at present framed and admins
tered were as servicable as they
might be in the solution of the prob.
lem. He said that the regulation of
the railroads by federal commission
has had admirable results and that
the question was whether there was
anything else to be done to better
the conditions under which the rail
roads are operating.