Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-12-10

| piieu tuut ucroiC prlHCipic 10 Tue case
Of Mexico and now hopefully avail,
the rebirth of the troubled republic
which had so much Of which to purge
itself and 30 little sympathy from any
outside quarter In the radical but nee
essary process We will aid and be
friend Mexico. but we will not coerce
her. and our course with regard TO her
ought to be sufficient proof to all Amer
lea that we seek no political suzerninty
or selfish control.
Economic Adjustments Must Come
lea are not hostile rivals, but COOP
Grating friends. and that their grow
ing sense OF community Of interest,
alike In matters political and in mat
tiers economic, is likely to give them q
new significance as factors In interna.
| tiOnal affairs and in the political his.
tory Of the world. 1t presents them as
In very deep and true sense a unit
in world affairs. spiritual partners.
standing together because thinking to-
gether. quick with common sympathies
! and common ideals. Separated, they
are subject to all the cross currents of
the confused politics of world Of hos
tile rivalries: united in spirit and pur-
pose. they cannot be disappointed Of
their peaceful destiny.
This is pan Americanism 1t has none
Of the spirit of empire in it. 1t is the
embodiment. the effectual embodiment,
Of the spirit of law and independence
and liberty and mutual service.
The president calls attention to the
meeting in Washington recently OF
representatives of the pan-American
| republics and says that economic adj
justment is inevitable in the next gen.
Grafton.
No one who really comprehends the
spirit of the great people for whom we
are appointed to speak can fail to per
ceive that their passion is for peace.
their genius best displayed in the prac-
tice Of the arts Of peace. Great democ-
racies are not belligerent They do not
seek or desire war Their thought Is
or individual liberty and OF the free
labor that supports life and the un-
censored thought that quickens 1t.
Conquest and dominion are not in our
reckoning or agreeable to our princi-
pies. But just because we demand un-
molested development and the undis-
turbed government Of our own lives
upon our own principles Of right and
liberty, We resent from whatever
quarter It may come, the aggression we
ourselves will not practice. We insist
upon security in prosecuting our self
chosen lines Of national development.
We do more than that. We demand 1t
also for others We do not confine our
enthusiasm for individual liberty and
free national development to the Incl
dents and movements Of affairs which
affect only ourselves. We feel it wher-
ever there is people that tries to walk
in these difficult paths Of independence
and right. From the first we have
made common cause with all partisans
Of liberty on this side the sea and have
deemed 1t as important that our neigh.
bors should be free from all outside
domination as that we ourselves should
be; have set America aside as a whole
for the uses Of Independent nations and
political freemen.
Out Of such thoughts grow all our
policies. We regard war merely as
means of asserting the rights Of peo
pie against aggression. And we are
as fercely Jealous Of coercive or dicta
torial power within our own nation
as Of aggression from without. We
will not maintain standing army ex.
cept for uses which are as necessary
, in times Of peace as in times Of war.
Plan for National Defense
But war has never been IL mere mat
ter of men and guns. 1t is thing
Of disciplined might. If our citizens
, are ever to fight effectively upon
sudden summons, they must know
how modern fighting is done. and what
to do when the summons comes to
render themselves Immediately avail
able and Immediately effective. And
the government must be their servant
in this matter, must supply them with
the training they need TO take care of
themselves and of it. The military
arm Of their government. which they
will not allow to direct them. they may
properly use to serve them and make
their Independence secure and moi
! their own Independence merely, but
the rights also OF those with whom
they have made common cause. should
they also be put in jeopardy They
must be fitted to play the great role
in the world. and particularly in this
hemisphere for which they are quail
fed by principle and by chastened am
hitiOn r ~"
III l. y. s.. / Gals In mind that
| the pi;,A.:,, rs Gc.iartment of war FOR
more "tc .....p national defense were
conceived Gli, II will be laid before
you. and which | urge you to sanction
and put into effect as soon as they can
| be properly sorutinizcd and discussed
| They seem +" mo the essential first
steps, and = .'"~i tu me for the
! present suit ,icA.
| They contemplate an increase of the
standing force oe the regular army
| from its present strength Of 5.023 Off
GERS and l02.9S1 enlisted men of all
services TO strength OF 7.l36 officers
and l3+,707 enlisted men. or 141, S43
all told, all services, rank and file. by
, the addition OF firty-two companies Of
coast artillery. fifteen companies Of en-
! gincers. ten regiments OF infantry. four
! regiments Of field artillery and four
aero sQuadrors. besides 10 officers re-
quired for It great variety of extra
service. especially the al important
! duty Of training the citizen force Of