The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-11-11
ARM FOR Defense, SAYS PRESIDENT WILSON
Wants Bigger Army 100000 Citizens Trained Ia the Next Three
Years Executive fxcoaes Aliens, and Says There No Room
for "hyphens" $500, 900 for Naval Increase.

U,UUU TOT Naval I0CCedSC.
and such ambitions that we are seek
ing ourselves at the present time
what our duty Is with regard to the
armed force of the nation. Within
year we have witnessed what we
did not believe possible, great
European conflict, involving many of
the greatest nations of the world.
Not For Conquest, for Defense.
''The influences of great war
are everywhere in the air. All Eur
ope is embattled. Force everywhere
speaks out with a loud and imper-
ious voice in a titanic struggle of
governments, and from one end OF
our own dear country to the other
men are asking one another what
our own force it, how far we are pre-
pared to maintain ourselves against
any interference with our national
action or development.
'In no mans mind, am sure, is
there even raised the question OF
! willful use of force on our part
against any nation or any people. No
matter what military or naval force
the United States might develop,
statesmen throughout the whole
world might rest assured that we
were gathering that force, not for at
tack in any quarter, not for agrees
sion of any kind, not for the salts
faction of any political or interna-
tional ambition, but merely to make
sure of our own security.
1--WE have it in mind, to be prepar-
ed, but not for war; but only for de-
Tense; and with the thought con-
stantly in our minds that the prin-
ciples we hold most dear can be
achieved by the slow processes of his
tory only in the kindly and whole
some atmosphere of peace, and not
by the use of hostile force.
"The mission of America in the
world is essentially 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 associ-
atoms and freedom, and a wide and
cordial welcome, and they have be-
come part of the bone and sinew and
spirit of America itself. America has
been made up out of the nations of
the world, and is the friend of the
nations of the world.
We Must Be UnmO1ested.
"But we feel justified in preparing
ourselves to vindicate our right to
independent and unmolested action
by making the force that is in US
ready for assertion.
"And we know that we can do this
in way that will be itself an illus
tration of the American spirit. In
accordance with our American tradi-
tions we want and shall work for
only an army adequate to the con-
slant and legitimate uses OF times OF
international peace. But we do not
want to feel that there is a great
body of citizens who have not receiv-
ed at least the most rudimentary and
necessary forms of military training;
that they will be ready to form them
selves into fighting force at the call
of the nation and that the nation has
the munitions and supplies with
which to equip them without delay,
should it be necessary to call them
into action.
eve wish to supply them with the
training they need, and we think we
can do so without calling them at
any time too long away from their
civilian pursuits.
ut is with this idea, with the con-
ceptiOn, in mind that the plans have
been made which it will be my privl-
lege to lay before 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
performance of the necessary duties
of the army in the Philippines, in
Hawaii, in Porto Rico, upon the bor-
ders of the United States, at the
coast Notifications and at the mill
tary posts of the interior.
100000 Citizen Soldiers.
''For the rest, it calls for the train
ing within the next three years OF
force of 100000 citizen soldiers to
be raised in contingents of $4,000
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 ex-
pected to merely undergo intensive
training for a very brief period OF
each year.
''Their training would take place
in immediate association with the
organized units of the regular army.
It would have no touch of the anna
teur about it, neither would it exact
of the volunteers more than they
could give in any one year from their
civilian pursuits.
"And none of this would be done
in such a way as in the slightest de-
gree to supersede or subordinate our
present serviceable and efficient ma
tional 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 enlisted under the new
conditions, and should hope and ex-
pect that the legislation by which all
this would be accomplished would
put the national guard itself upon a
better and more permanent footing
than it has ever been before, giving
it not only the recognition which 1t
= xo1ra 1ofinifo c11nnNrf