The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-12-10
National Preparedness Main
Theme Of Head Of Nation.
Submits Definite Plan 10 In
crease Present Standing
Force Of Regulars and For
-Four Hundred Thousand
Citizen Soldiers Raised In
Increm0nts Of Ono Hundred
and Thirty-three Thousand.
n OLLOWING is the message of
n President Wilson delivered at a
joint session of the senate and
hOt1ca af tho hauiupfpU ~ tha

President Wilson delivered at O
joint session of the senate and
house at the beginning Of the
Sixty-fourth congress:
Gentlemen of the Congress-Since
last had the privilege of addressing
you on the state of the Union the wal
of nations on the other side of the sea
which had then only begun to disclose
M portentous proportions, has extend.
ed its threatening and sinister scope
until it has swept within its flame
some portion of every quarter of the
globe, not excepting our own hemi.
sphere, has altered the whole face of
international affairs, and now presents
. prospect of reorganization and re-
construction such as statesmen and
peoples have never been called upon
to attempt before.
We have stood apart, studiously neu-
trail. 1t was our manifest duty to do
20. Not only did we have no part or
interest in the policies which seem to
have brought the conflict on; it was
necessary. il universal catastrophe
was to be avoided, that limit should
be set to the sweep Of destructive war
and that some part Of the great fam.
1y of nations should keep the process
es Of peace alive. If only to prevent
collective economic ruin and the break
down throughout the world Of the in
dustries by which its populations are
fed and sustained 1t was manifestly
the duty of the self governed nations
Of this hemisphere to redress, if possi-
bic, the balance of economic loss and
confusion in the other, If they could
do nothing more. In the day of read
5ustment and recuperation we earnest
ly hope and believe that they can be
Of infinite service.
In this neutrality, to which they
were hidden not only by their sep
arate life and their habitual detach
ment from the politics Of Europe, but
also by q clear perception of interna-
tonal duty, the states of America have
become conscious of new and more
vital community of interest and moral
partnership In affairs, more clearly
conscious Je the many common sympa-
thies and interests and duties which
bid them stand together.
There was a time in the early days
of our own great nation and Of the re.
publics fighting their way to independ.
ence in Central and South America
when the government of the United
States looked upon itself as In some
sort the guardian Of the republics to
the south Of her as against any en-.
croachments or efforts at political con.
trOl from the other side of the water:
felt it its duty to play the part even
without invitation from them, and
think that we can claim that the task
was undertaken with true and disin-
terested enthusiasm for the freedom
Of the Americas and the unmolested
self government Of her independent
peoples. But 1t was always difficult to
maintain such a role without offense
to the pride of the peoples whose free.
dom of action we sought to protect
and without provoking serious mis-.
conceptions Of our motives. and every
thoughtful man Of affairs must well
come the altered circumstances of the
new day in whose light we now stand.
when there is no claim of guardian
ship or thought Of wards, but instead
q full and honorable association as of
partners between ourselves and our
neighbOrs in the interest of all Amer.
lea, north and south. Our concern for
the independence and prosperity of the
states OF Central and South America
1s not altered. We retain unabated the
spirit that has inspired us throughout
the whole life of our government and
which was SO frankly put into words
by President Monroe. We still mean
always to make a common cause of
national independence and of political
liberty in America. But that purpose
Il now better understood so far as it
concerns ourselves. It is known not to
be selfish purpose. 1t is known to
have In it no thought of taking advan-
tage Of any government in this hemi-
sphere or playing its political fortunes
for our own benefit. All the govern
ments of America stand, so far as we
are concerned, upon q footing Of genu-
ine equality and unquestioned inde-
pendence.
We have been put to the test in the
case of Mexico, and we have stood the
test Whether we have benefited Mex
leo by the course we have pursued re-
mains to be seen. Her fortunes are I'm
her own hands. But we have at least
proved that we will not take advan-
tage of her in her distress and under
take to impose upon her an order and
government Of our own choosing. Lib
erty is often fierce and intractable
thing. to which no bounds can be set
and to which no bounds Of few