The Washington herald., 1915-12-08

political unity and self-determination is
very seriously cIouded and complicated,
indeed.
Moreover. We can develop no true or
effective American policy without ships
OF our own-not ships of war, but ships
o1 peace. carrying goods and carrying
much more: creating friendships and
rendering Indispensable services to all
interests on this side Of the water. They
must move constantly back and forth
between tho Am. ricas. They are the
only shuttles that can weave the deli
cate fabric of sympathy. comprehension.
confidence and mutual dependence In
which we wish to clothe our policy of
America for Americans.
On Getting the Money.
Regarding the means Of financing the
preparedness plans. the Chief Exccu-
tive said:
How shall we obtain the new revenue? :?
We arc frequently reminded that there
are many millions OF bonds which the
Treasury is authorized under existing
law to sell to reimburse the sums paid
out Of current revenues for the construc-
ton of the Panama Canal; and IL Is true
that bonds to the amount of approxi-
mately s20o0tO.OO0 are now available for
that purpose. Prior to 1913 $l3&. GIL $50 of
these bonds had actually been sold to
recoup the expenditures at the isthmus.
and now constitute a considerable Item
Of the public debt. But I, for one do
not believe that the people of this coun-
try approve OF postponing the payment
of their bills. Borrowing money Is short
sighted finance. II can be justified only
when permanent things are to be ac-
complished which many generations will
certainly benefit by. and which II seems
hardly fair that single generation
should pay for. The objects We are now
proposing to spend money for cannot be
so classified, except In the sense that
everything wisely done may be said to
be done In the interest of posterity as
well as in our own. 1t seems to me
clear dictate OF prudent craftsmanship
and frank finance that in what We are
now. I hope. about to undertake We
should pay as we 60. The people of the
country are entitled to know Just what
burdens of taxation they are to carry.
and to know from the outset. now. The
new wills should be paid by internal
taxation.
By somewhat lowering the present
limits of exemption and the figure at
which the surtax shall begin to be i'm
posed. and by increasing. step by step
throughout the present graduation. the
surtax itself. the income taxes as at
present apportioned would yield sums
sufficient to balance the books of the
Treasury at the end of the fiscal year
1917 without anywhere making the bur-
den ureasonably or oppressively heavy.
The precise reckonincs are fully and ac-
curately set out In the report of the Sec
retary Of the Treasury which will be i'm
mediately laid before you.
Hyphenated Americans.
The President led up to his denunci-
alton of hyphenated-American in
words:
1 have had in my mind no thought
of any immediate or particular danger
arising out of our relations with other
nations. We are at peace with all the
other nations. We are at peace with
all the nations OF the world. and there
is reason to hope that no question in
controversy between this and other
governments will lead to any serious
breach of amicable relations, grave
as some differences of attitude and
policy have been and may yet turn
out to be. I am sorry to say that the
gravest threats against our nationai
peace and safety have been uttered
within our own borders.
There are citizens Of the United
States. I blush to admit. born under
other flags. but welcomed under our
generous naturalization laws to the
full freedom and opportunity of
America, who have poured the poison
Of disloyalty into THE very arteries Of
our national life; who have sought to
bring the authority and good name Of
our government into contempt, to de-
stroy our industries wherever they
thought It effective for their vindic-
tive purpose to strike at them, and
to debase our politics to the uses Of
foreign intrigue. Their number IL