Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-05
President Wilson Calls for Armament

are everywhere in the air. All Europe
is embattled. Force everywhere speaks
out with loud, and >imperious voice In
a titanic struggle of governments. and
from one end of our own dear country
to the other men are asking one an
other what our own force is, how far
we are prepared to maintain ourselves
against any interference with out ma
tional action or development.
Not For Aggression
In no mans mind. I am sure, is there
even raised the question of the will
full use of force on our part against
any nation or any people. No matter
what military or naval force the Unit
ed States might develop. statesmen
throughout the whole world might rest
assured that we were gathering that
force, not for attack in any quarter,
not for aggression of any kind, not
for the satisfaction of any political or
international ambition, but merely to
make sure of our own security. We
have it in mind to be prepared. but
not for war; but only for defense: and
with the thought constantly in our
minds that the principles we hold most
dear can be achieved by the slow pro-
cesses of history only in the kindly
and wholesome atmosphere of peace
and not by the use of hostile force. The
mission of America in the world is es-
sentially mission of peace and good
will among men. She has become the
home and asylum of men of all creeds
and races. Within her hospitable
borders they have found homes and
congenial associations and freedom and
a wide and cordial welcome, and they
have become part of the bone and
sinew and spirit of America itself. Am
erica has been made up out of the ma
tions of the world and is the friend of
the nations of the world.
But we feel justified in preparing
ourselves to vindicate our right to in
dependent and unmolested action by
making the force that is in us ready
for assertion.
Citizens Training
And we know that We can do this in
q way that will be itself an illuStra ton
of the American spirit. In accordance
with our American traditions weAwant
and shall work for only an army ade-
quate to the constant and legitimate
uses of times of international peace.
| But we do want to feel that there is a
great body of citizens who have re-
ceived at least the most rudimAntary
and necessary forms of military train
! ing: that they will be ready to form
themselves into fighting force at the
| call of the nation; and that the ma =
| ton has the munitions and supplies
with which to equip them without de-
lay 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 with
out calling them at any time too long
away from their civilian pursuits.
| Administrations Plans
1t is with this idea, with this con-
ception, in mind that the plans have
been made which it will be my privi-
| lege to lay before the Congress at its
next session. That 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 fortified =
tions, and at the military posts of the
! interior. For the rest it calls for the
:. training within the next three years
of a force of 100000 citizen soldiers TO
be raised in annual contingent of 133
| 000 who would be asked to enlist for
three years with the colors and three
years on furlough, but who during
their three years of enlistment with
| the cOlors would not be organized as
a standing force but would be expected
merely to undergo intensive training
for very brief period of each year
Their training would take place in i'm
mediate association with the organized
units of the regular Army. 1t would
have no touch of the amateur abou,
it, neither would it exact of the vol
any one year from their civilian pur-
suits.
| National Guard Improvement
| And none of this would be done in
such a way as in the slightest degree
to supersede or subordinate our. pres
ent serviceable and efficient National
| Guard. On the contrary, the National
Guard itself would be used as part OF
the instrumentality by which training
would be given the citizens who enlist
ed under the new conditions and !
should hope and expect that the legis-
lation by which all this would be ac-
complished would put the National
Guard itself upon better and more
permanent footing than it has ever
been before, giving it not only the
recognition which it deserves. but a
I more definite support from the nation
al government and a more definite
connection with the military organiza :
ton of the nation.
What we all wish to accomplish is
| that the forces Of the nation should
indeed be part of the nation and not a
separate professional force, and the
chief cost of the system would not be
in the enlistment or in the training OF
the men, but in the providing of ample
equipment in case it should be neces-
sary to call all forces into the field.
| American Navy
Moreover. it has been American pol
icy time out Of mind to look to the
Navy as the first and chief line OF