The Benson signal., 1915-11-13
BE PREPARED
GET READY, NOT FOR WAR, BUT
FOR DEFENSE, SAYS THE
PRESIDENT.
Wilson Asks Nations Support of
Plans for Preparedness at Ban
quet in New York City.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
New York. President Wilson
opened the administration campaign
for it's national defense program in
comprehensive and carefully prepared
address delivered on the 4th at the
Manhattan Club banquet.
The President was received with
enthusiastic applause as he entered
the banquet hall and during his ad
dress.
The President called upon men of
all shades of political opinion" to rally
to the support of the program.
He spoke of the United States as
'a nation too big and generous to be
exacting, but yet courageous enough
to defend it's rights and the liberties
of it's people, wherever assailed or in
volved"
The President spoke in part as fol-
lows:
"Mr. Toastmaster and Gentlemen:
"A year and half ago our thought
would have been almost altogether of
great domestic questions. They are
must and shall address ourselves to
their solution with diligence, firmness
and self-possession.
1--WE are thinking now chiefly of our
relations with the rest of the world
not our commercial relations-a
ND NJ
always, but about our political rela-
tions, our duties as an individual and
independent force in the world to our
selves our neighbors and the world
itself.
"Our principles are well known. 1t
is not necessary to avoW them
again We believe in political liberty
and founded our great government to
obtain it, the liberty of men and of
| peoples-of men to choose their own
lives and of peoples to choose their
own allegiance.
1--WE shall, l confidently believe,
never again take another foot of ter
ritory by conquest We shall never
in any circumstances seek to make an
independent people subject to our do
minion, because we believe, we pas
sionately believe in the right Of ev-
ery people, to choose their own al
legiance and be free of masters alto
gether.
"For ourselves we wish nothing but
the full liberty of self-development;
and with ourselves in this great mat
ter we associate all the peoples OF
our own hemisphere.
eve have it in mind to be prepared
but not for war, but only for defense.
seThat plan calls for only such an
increase in the regular army OF 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 fortifica-
tions and at the military posts OF the
interior
"For the rest, It calls for the train
ing within the next three years OF a
force of 100000 citizen soldiers to be
| raised in annual contingents of 1885,
| 900. who would be asked to enlist FOR
| three wears with the cOlOrs and three
wears on furlough, but who during
| their three years of enlistment with
| the colors would not be organized as
standing force, but woull be expected
merely to undergo intensive training
for a. very brief period Of each year.
"Their training would take place in
| immediate association with the organ
| lied units of the regular army.
'It has been American policy time
out of mind to look to this navy as the
| first and chief line of defense. The