The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-11-10
PRESIDENT BEGINS
DEFENSE CAMPAIGN
RECEIVED ENTHUSIASTIC AP-
PLAUSE AT MANHATTAN
CLUB BANQUET.

New York, Nov. s. President
Wilson opened the administration
campaign for its national defense
program in a comprehensive and
carefully prepared address delivered
here tonight at the Manhattan club
banquet. He declared solemnly that
the United States had no aggressive
purposes, but must be prepared to
defend itself in order to assume full
liberty and self-development." Signi-
ficantly, he said that with ourselves
in this great matter we associate all
the peoples of our own hemisphere
adding that "we wish not only for the
United States, but for them the full
est freedom of independent growth
of action"
The President was received with
enthusiastic applause as he entered
the banquet hall and during his ad-
dress. The hall was decorated with
American flags and filled even to the
galleries with Democrats happy over
their victory of Tuesday in New York
City. When the President arose to
speak every one applauded until he
was forced to signal for quiet.
"Within year." said the President
we have witnessed what we did not
think possible, great European con-
flict involving many of the greatest
nations Of the world. The influence
of the great war are everywhere in
the air. All Europe is in battle.
Force everywhere speaks out with a
loud and imperious voice in titan
tic struggle of government and from
one end of our own dear country to
the other men are asking one another
what our own force is, how far we
are prepared to maintain ourselves
against any interference with our ma
tional action or development. -
:. The President called upon "men of
all shades of political opinion" to raj
ly to the support of the defense pro-
gram He said it represented "the
best professional and expert opinion
of the country" and gave warning
that eff men differ with me in this
vital matter, I shall ask them to make
it clear how far and in what way they
are interested in making the perma-
nent interests of the country safe
against disturbances"
There is no need for the country to
feel panic-stricken, the President de-
clared: because it stands in friendly
relations with the world. He spoke
of the United States as "a nation too
big and generous to be exacting, but
yet courageous enough to defend its
rights and liberties of its people
wherever assailed or involved" ,.
The President declared that the
navy already is very great and eff
cient force" but that in order to
bring it to a point of Extraordinary
force and efficiency" definite policy
must be adopted and hastened, and
an adequate supply Of men and equip
ment provided.
Just before the dinner the Presi-
dent shook hands with all the guests,
including Chas. F. Murphy.
Henry Watterson, of Louisville,
who had been designated by the din
ner committee to speak Immediately
after President Wilson sent his re-
grets in letter read to the diners.
Mr.. Watterson wrote that he re-
gretted being unable to attend the
fiftieth anniversary of the Manhat-
tan club, which was founded "to save
the Democratic party from threaten
ed destruction"
"When the club was founded" he
wrote, 'sthe democratic party had
been trampled under the feet of
marching armies, its vitality arrested
by division and defeat, and its prin-
ciples obscured by battle clouds. I
regret that cannot be with you to
rejoice in this occasion"
Each time the President appeared
on the streets today he was applaud
ed.