Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-28
VIM | Am For Hughes

National necessity requires the election of
Charles f. Hughes as president OF the United
States.
While the broad answer OF patriotic neces-
sity meets the question OF why Mr.. Hughes
should be elected, the outstanding problems
which render such a result imperative are easily
capitulated
The outbreak of the European war confronted
this country with new problems which developed
the necessity OF foreign policy. They required
frmness of action and dehniteness of purpose.
These problems were met by an administration
supine Indifferent, inconsistent and woetully
lacking in breadth of understanding. Instead OF
keeping us out of war. as its advocates claim, by
announcing program Of hesitating timidity, 1t
invited situation which nearly drove US into
the war in spite Of the fact that the American
people did not want to engage in it and that it
spelled calamity for one side or the other OF the
European bellgerents if we had engaged in it.
As it is all our troubles are put off until tomor-
row. Nothing Is settled. The allied powers
continue to faunt US or interfere with our mails
and our commerce, while the submarine program
has merely been postponed and not settled.
In Mexico the same fatuous policy, without
starting point and without terminal facilities, has
resulted in state of anarchy in which American
lives and property have been sacrificed with wan
ton disregard of the inherent rights Our nationals
possess. The administration has waged peace
more deadly than war, has played one bandit
against another; has winked at the murder of
Americans and the violation Of women; remained
undsturbed while our soldiers were massacred
conducting an expedition so fecby conceived
that 1t is wonder that it has no more blood
stains than are recorded at Parral and Carrizal.
The problem which confronts this country to-
day-a problem that will have to be met within
the next four years--is that of adjusting the
United States Of America with the rest Of the
world. To do this requires policy OF prepared
ness in order to insure peace. Mr.. Wilson, with
his ear to the ground after having stood out
against program of preparedness at the time
when its imperative necessity was recognized by
ALL suddenly discovered that the world was on
fire, after the conhagration had waged for year
and demanded preparedness program. The net
result of his appeal was his shameful acquies-
cence in the Hay army bill, which adds only
few soldiers to the regular army at the rate of
10000 year, an acquiescence which sounds su-
premely ironical in view OF the recollection Of
the presidents statement that the need for
greater force was imperative and now" The
naval preparedness bill, more elaborate in char
acter, contains clause which leaves it to the dis
cretion Of the president to determine whether or
not the program shall be carried out. In view
Of Mr.. Wilson's well-known attitude in the past,
openly declared up to the time of his too proud
to fight" declaration at Philadelphia, there can
be no doubt that he has agreed with the little
this policy as soon as possible.
Another form of preparedness which con-
fronts the American people may we'll be termed
industrial preparedness. Only the existence of
the war, the increased demand which it has
brought into existence, and the automatic tariff
wall which it has built up has saved us from dis
aster. At the close of this war Europe will be
economically and industrially organized to the
highest power. With the tariff wall removed
through the instrumentality of the Underwood
law, our farmers and our manufacturers will be
subject to unrestricted competition, which we
are not prepared to meet This situation is of
special interest to the farmers of the middle west
and northwest. War conditions have removed,
for the present, the danger of Canadian compe-
tition, but with the return of normal peace cond~
tons Canada, with its 300000000 bushels of
wheat spells low wheat prices to the farmers of
the northwest, and the same conditions apply to
all other farm products.
The public, in the next election, is to be given
the choice OF continuing this shifting, wabbling
policy--a policy gded with the literary style of
its chief advocate and chief exponent, policy
that spells disaster to the industry OF the coun-
try, peril to its laboring forces and the absolute
sacrifice of the position of America among the
nations OF the world and its continued humilia-
ton wherever stock is taken OF national standing
Opposed to this is the choice registered in
the election of Charles E. Hughes, who stand for
a broad-minded, statesmanlike Interpretation of
our foreign policy, and whose election insures
industrial preparedness so that we may meet the
competition that will be upon us at the close of
the European war and for that other form of
preparedness which will insure peace for our
selves and will aid in bringing it to the rest of
the world.