Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-12-09

sppkesmen of the several independent
states of this hemisphere and were as
sembled to discuss the financial and COM
mercial relations of the republics of the
Two continents which nature and political
fortune have SO intimately linked to-
gether l earnestly recommend to your
perusal the reports of their proceedings
and OF the actions of their committees.
You will get from them, think. fresh
conception of the ease and intelligence
and advantage with which Americans
OF both continents may draw together in
practical cooperation and of what the
material foundations of this hopeful part
we should build them and of how neces-
sary it is that we should hasten their
building.
Destiny Of Americas.
There is, venture to point out, ar
especial Significance just now attaching
to this whole matter Of drawing the
Americas together In bonds Of honorable
partnership and mutual advantage be.
cause Of the economic readIustments
which the world must inevitably witness
within the next generation, when peace
tasks. In the performance of these tasks
1 believe the Americas to be destined to
play their parts together am inter-
ested to fix your attention on this pros
pect now because unless you take it with
IN your view and. permit the full sig
nifcance of it to command your thought
l cannot find the right light in which
to set forth the particular matter that
lies at the very front of my whole
thought. as address you today. mean
national defense.
Ideals Of Democracy.
No one who really conprehends the
spirit of the great people for whom we
are appointed to speak, can fail to per:
cetve that their passion is for peace, their
genius best displayed in the practice OF
the arts of peana. Great democracies are
not beiilgerent. They do not seek or de.
sire war. Their thought is of individual
liberty and OF the free labor that sup
ports life and the uncensored thought
that quickens 1t. Conquest and dominion
are not in our reckoning, or, agreeable tc
our principles. But just because we de-
mand unmolested development and the
undisturbed government of our own lives
upon our own principles, of right ant
liberty. we resent from whatever quartz.
1t may come. the aggression we ourseive,
viii not practice. We Insist upon securlt,
IN prosecuting our self chosen lines Of ma.
ttonat developments. We do more thar
that. We demand It also for others. We
20 not confine our enthusiasm for indi.
svtdual liberty and free national deyelop.
ment to the incidents and movements o
affairs which affect only ourselves. W.
feel 1t wherever there is people tina
tries to walk in these difficult maths q
Independence and right From the f1rs
we have made common cause with nj
partisans OF liberty on this side the sea
and have desmed it as important tina,
;s,ss aas,il; 4 ,ti
outsids doinfna ton AZ that We oursefvs;
should be; have set America aside as !
whole for the uses of independent nation.
and political freemen.
Can't Depend on Farmers.
Out Of such thoughts grow all our poll.
OF asserting the rights of neople agains
aggression. And we are as fiercely zeal
GUS Of coercive or dictatorial power with
m ni,tba4 our own mn nation @ as Of aggression from
Wlthout. We Will not maintain stand
Ing army except for uses which are q.
necessary In times OF peace as In time,
OF war; and we shall always see to it tha
nur ,..x mlIi.ary peace establishment is M
needed for the uses OF days in which M
enom1es move against us. But we do he
lieve In body of free citizens ready ane
sufficient to take care of themselves and
of the governments which they have se
up to serve them. In our constitution.
themselves we have commanded that 9TH,
right of the people to keep and bear arm
shall not be infringed," and our conf
dence has been that our safety in time,
of danger would lie in the rising of tn,
nation to take care of itself. as the farm
ers rose at Lexington.
Must Understand War.
But war has never been a mere matter
piEed might. II our citizens are ever I,
nght effectively upon sudden summons
they must know how modern fighting Il
cpmes to render themselves immediatel,
available and Immediately effective AMI
the government must be their servant n
n.1nna this mater. tsI must supply them with th'
oelves and Of It. The military arm q
their government. which they will not al
low to direct them. they may properly US,
to naa serve re,,L them and o., make their independ
ence merely but the rights also of thos,
with whom they have made common
cause, should they also be put In jeopardy
They. must be. fitted to play the grea
role in the world. and particularly in thi
hemisphere. for which they are qualified
by principle and by chastened ambitio,
to play.
It Is with these ideals in mind that IN,
plans of the department of war for NOR
adequate national defense were conceive,
which will be laid before you. and which
l urge you to sanction and put into effec
as soon as they can be properly scrutin
lied and discussed. They seem to me th,
essential first steps. and they seem to m,
for the present sufficient.
Proposed Army Increase.
They contemplate an Increase OF tn
standing force of the regular army from
Its present strength OF 5.O23 officers ant
102.!S5 enlisted men of AL services to :
strength of 7.l36 officers and 1874. .707 enlist
ed men. or ldl.S43. all told. all services
panies Of coast artillery, Is companies Q
engineers, 40 regiments OF infantry. fou
regiments Offield artillery. and four aer,
squadrons, besides $50 officers required 70
s{faft rsf<
the ail7iHpcrtant duty of training the eiti
zen force of which i shall presently speak
!92 mons commissioned officers for serxic,
In drill. recruiting and ..ile like. ard tn,
necessary quota OF enlisted men for til,
quaTtermaster corps. the hospital corps
the ordnance department. ard other s!mi
lar M auxiliary services. These are the ad
oitens .3 ne necessary ;e to render the army ade
1t has TO perform not only upon our owl
continental coasts and borders and at ou
Interior army posts. but also In the Phil
tisthmu6 and In Porto Rico.
10y way OF making tho country read.
ITO assert some part ct its real powe
promptly and upon a larger scale. shoult
supplementmg the. army by a force O
100000 disciplined citizens. raised in iucre
ments; Of $4,000 Il year throughout
to- do by a process OF enlistment .undc
which the serviceable men of the COUNT.
would he asked to bind themselves :.
serve with the colors for purposes o
training for short periods throustou
three years, and to come to the colors d
call at any time throughout an additiona
:. futlOttghi' period of three years. Thi
force of 10000 men would be. provided
with personal accoutrements as fest asten
listed and their equipment for the ficlt
made ready to be sIpplied at any time
They would be assembled for training a
stated Intervals at convenient places ii
association with suitable units Of the reg
uiar army. Their period of annual train
ing would not necessarily exceed tw.
mouths In the year.
It would depend upon the patriotic feel
sing OF the younger men Of the cou1sz