The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-12-10
Friday. December 10, 1915
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE TO
CONGRESS.

None other of President Will
sons state papers, despite the
conceded excellence of all of
them, will rank quite so high, we
believe, as the one he read to
Congress yesterday, said the
Baltimore Sun on Wednesday.
Whatever may be said of its SUBJ
stance, it is in form superb.
The relations between the United
States and the other nations on
this continent are stated with
unusual felicity. There is per-
feet clearness in the recital OF
facts concerning the national de-
tense. The tone and temper of
the Presidents references to
such of his recommendations as
are likely to meet with criticism
or opposition-to the proposed
continental army and the propos-
ed shipping bill, for instance
are admirable. Il am, he says
of the latter, mot so much inter-
ested in the particulars of the
program as | am in taking i'm
mediate advantage Of the great
opportunity which awaits us.
In this matter, as In all others,
a spirit of common counsel should
prevail" And in his denuncia-
ton of those pests who have late
ly disgraced this nation, the
foreign-born citizens who seek
to make this proud country once
more a hotbed of European pas
sion, y and those native-born
citizens who "also preach and
practice disloyalty," the Pres
ident rises to a height Of indi-
grant eloquence which is rarely
met with.
Most Americans, we think,
will count the substance of the
message about as admirable as
the form. Certain acute obser-
sers have pointed out the fact
that preparedness includes fore
thought in, the matter of policy
as we'll as in the matter of arma-
ments. This does not necessarily
require a detailed statement of
foreign policy the disadvantage
Of that would probably outweigh
the advantages but it does sug-
gest the desirability Of a gener-
al understanding, at home and
abroad, of certain of the funda-
mental principles underlying our
our dealings with foreign nations.
In this connection, what could be
better than thePresident's state
ment OF the Monroe Doctrine as
he sees it today? We still mean
always to make a common cause
Of national independence and of
political liberty in America.
But that purpose is now better
understood so far as it concerns
ourselves. It is known not to be
a selfish purpose. 1t is known
to have in it no thought of taking
advantage of any government in
this hemisphere or playing it's
political fortunes for our own
benefit. All the governments of
America stand, so far as we are
concerned, upona footing of gen.
uine equality and unquestioned
independence"
Taking up the question of
Mexico, the President shows
that he has approached the pro-
blem with regard to it from that
standpoint. And so considered,
it is seen our recent dealings
with that country have not been
dictated by a lack of policy, as
some Of the shallow critics of
the Administration have fuently
contended, Dut have been the
result of stern adherence to a
well-defined policy. In fact, this
and several CHER features of the
message maze it very clear that
the President is seeing the mat
ter of our foreign relations stead
lily and seeing it whole, that a
definite an d comprehensive
principle underlles the whole of
our policy. Not only our treat
ment OF Mexico, but also our
treatrnert Of Porto Rico and the
Philippines, our relations with
South America, our treatment
of the shipping question even,
are all bound up inextricably
with the question of national de-
tense and our general foreign
relations.
There will, of course, be dis
sent from some of his specific
recommendations. We have re-
faywed heretofore to the fact
that many Wao are heart and
sol1I with the President in tho