The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-05
President Declares No Matter
How Well Prepared We Are
No Nation Need Fear
ADEQUATE DEFENSIVE
METHOD JUSTIFIED
No i cordant Note, He De-
ares, Save From Those Not
in Truth Americans Who
Love Other Countries Better

New York, Nov 4.-~president VIII
son took the celebration OF the fif-
tIeth anniversary of the Manhattan
Club tonight as the occasion for lay
ing before delighted gathering OF
representative financiers, professional
and business men his Ideas of what
national preparedness ought 10 mean
for the United States. To his mind
1t must be prepared for defensive pur-
poses. never for an aggressive under
taking, but it must nevertheless be
a thorough and adequate prepared
ness.
Eight hundred guests OF the Man
haitian Club, gathered in the spacious
music room OF the Hotel Biltmore
listened eagerly as the President out
lined the policy that is to guide him
during the coming session OF Con
grass. Again and again his solemn
declara ton that America is free and
viii remain so at any cost without
departing from the ...inciples that
have raised her to the 'front.' ranks of
peaceful nations was cheered and at
the end those who heard him were
satisfied tina, ne Ia completely alive
to the present situation and intends
to meet 1t vigorously,
he arrived In New York this at
ternoon. accompanied by Secretary
-unau ~ and his physician, Dr. Cary
4. Grayson Colonel f. Nj. House met
l.s a The Pennsylvania station and
cCmpanied him to the Hotel st.
Kegs. where the President called on
Mrs Edith Boiling Gait. his finacee,
y 81 rad been in New York several
days shopping Secret service men
:. -, g squaA ot detectives accompanied
t. President during tho afternoon
ard guarded him closely during the
7tsg11trrr- terriS Il AZ sfte chose Of Tire
,linuee he went 10 thc home IF Colo
nei House. where he spent the night.
The President spoke In part as fol-
lows:
Presidents Address.
AR. POSTMASTER and Gentlemen:
] warmly felicftate the club upon
the completion Of fifty years OF sue
cessful and interesting life. Club l.fe
may ne made to mean great deal TO
those who know how TO use Il. | have
re aeiah. that 10 u great many Of van
has come genuine stimulation In the
associations Of this place. and that as
years have multiplied you have seen
more and moro the usefu! ends which
may he served by organizations OF this
sort.
But have not come to speak Who'll
" Of that. for there are others OF your
own members who can speak OF the
club with q knowledge and an intel
Iigence which no one can have who
has not been intimately associated
with it, Men bane themselves to-
rether for the sake OF the association
no doubt but also for something
greater and deeper than that--he-
cause they are conscious of common
interes. lying oatside their business
occupa tons. because they are mem
hers OF the same community and In
frequent intercourse find mutual slim
,lntion and n real maximum OF VI
tality and power. j shall assume that
here around the dinner table on this
memorial occasion our talk should
properly turn To the wide and common
Interests which arc most In our
thoughts. whether they be the inter
csts Of the community or OF the ma
ton.
A year and half ago our thought
would have been almost altogether
Of great domestic questions. They
are many and OF vital consequence
We must and shall address ourselves
10 their solution vita diligence. firm
ness, and self-possession, notwith-
standing we find ourselves In the
midst OF a world disturbed by great
but our thought is now inevitably OF
new things about which formerly we
gave ourselves little concern. We arc
thinking now chiefly of our relations
with the rest of the worid---not our
commercial relations---about those We
have thought and planned always
hut about our political relations, our
duties as an individual and independ-
cnt force in the world to ourselves.
our neighbers, and the world itself.
Our Principles Well known.
Our principles are we'll known. II
IL not necessary to avow them again.
We believe in political liberty ana
founded eur great movement to OBJ
tain it, the liberty of men and Of
peoples--of men to choose their own
lives, and of peoples To choose Their
ewn allegiance. Our ambitions. also.
all the world has Knowledge Of Il
is not only to be free and prosperous
ourselves. but also to be the friend
and thoughtful partisan OF those who
are free, or who desire freedom the
world over. IL we had aggressive pur-
poses and covetous ambitions. they
were the fruit Of our theughtiess
Youth as a nation, and we have put
/ hem aside. W. shall, l confidently
believe. never again take another foot
of territory by conquest. We shall
never, in any circumstances. seek to
make an Independent people subject
to our dominion because we believe.
we passionately believe. In the right
OF every people to choose their own
allegiance and be free of masters al
together. For ourselves we wish
nothing but the full liberty of self
and with ourselves in
this great matter we associate all the
peoples OF our own hemisphere. We
wish not only for the United States
but for them the fullest freedom OF
independent growth and OF action, for
We know that throughout this hemis-
phere the same aspirations are every