The state herald., 1916-10-27

Denver, Colo. Oct. 25.-Speaking be-
fore crowd Of $4,000 Colorado men
and women. which filled Denver's i'm.
mense Auditorium to overflowing.
Colonel Roosevelt last night added On
other biting chapter to the record Of
his Indictment of Woodrow Wilson
and the Democratic administration.
His speech followed one OF the most
stirring political demonstrations Colo
rado has ever known.
de said:
1 speak to you especially Of the
prime duty of self-defense. abhor un-
Just and wanton war. I shall always
DO. AZ l always have done. everything
to secure honorable and lasting peace.
But 1t IL folly to say that we shall new
er be engaged In war. The events of
the past two years show that as the
world now IL. such an assumption by
any nation is not only folly. but Grim
inal folly. Washington. who was the
very opposite Of the pacifists of his
day. said that this country could not
expect always to avoid war. His words
were true then. They are true now. n
this nation continues Its national ex-
istence long enough II Is sure at some
time In the future to be involved In
war exactly as at times In the past It
has been involved 10 war. Our prime
duty 10 so to prepare as to minimize the
number Of occasions when war will
come and to ensure that when II does
come. Il shall result neither dishonor-
ably nor disastrously for the American
people. Al this moment we are not
ready In any way. physically or spiritu-
ally. to face a serious foe. We owe this
iamentable fact to several causes. but
especially to the evil leadership given
our people In high places. Mr.. Wiison
sst has alss sees toe proud 10 prepare.
The Array and NAVY.
The people OF this country should
provide for = first-class navy, a navy
relative to the other powers what our
navy was In February. 1903. when the
battlefield returned from the cruise
around the world. We should have
.sgular army Of u quarter of n million
short.service men. which would give
. mobile army OF 10000 or 10000 to
deal with such exigencics as that
which the feebleness OF our govern
ment has brought about on the Mexl-
can border at this moment. And this
should be only the beginning. free
man nssss not merely hire Others to do
Ais fighting for hiH,. u h~ wisheu per.
fit hinseif to fight for hI. own rights,
that IL, for bis country's rights.
I honor the National Guardsmen who
are at the front. They have the true
Ooldierly stuff In them. But the sys-
tenn under which they have been sent
te an atrocious one. and should be
changed at once. They have been
tricked into going Into what they sup
posed was war ON behalf OF the coun-
try. When they entered the militia
most of them had no idea that they
would be conscripted as they have
been. Their sense of honor has for
bidden them to refuse going. But they
should never have been sent for mere
police duty: for remember that. thnaks
10 Mr.. Wilson's tass~ refusal 10 punish
The Mexican bandits. We sow have %
1iess IRE. tra 20 tw-.ty tise. ~ ns-
aesoas a. the bandits acsoss the bsr-
dest aaa yet this force does nsthiag.
Many men have gone who have been
Obliged to leave their wives and chil-
dren TO suffer actual want. and who
have permanently Injured their profes-
sionai or business careers. or dcfinits-
iy lost their Jobs. because they had TO
away from their business. away from
their homes. to make good the damage
done by the utter folly OF our rulsrs
In Washington.
Rulers Unint-rested.
These ruiers In Washington were sst
really lntereated In Preparedness. They
were not really Interested In the de-.
snly Of their own political fortunes II
the innediste future. They refssed -
give Ne enpert military iegisistiea.
ties, Legislation a-sixn~d 10 secure
Votes neSt NeveNker ~ the cost 81 the
Hives 81 she gallant officers asd nsa 81
1he reguisr ermyt at the cost 81 ehe
rkllaren % the border. sad In MesSeel
as6 a. tie cost Of the weil-being oe
ehsssaaas os families ef Nstieeel
GsarAsaes who hsd taessel.es hcss
sen1 10 The Mexican bcsdev: Ths Ssgse'
1aelea ~ the last s~sss"n shouid he ~.
peaieA saa the work Of preparsAasos
ssser~e sses with .-riea. p.sresss.
,ha. yonss cfPlsIcnt mavy .nc Y's
small but efficient regular. army. eut
always remember that In free dsWse.
rncy no man should have tho right 10
vote In the eiyil nifairs Of ne eeHSs.Ey H.y
required by the country. not oniy u
form these duties In time OF war unleea
less hs trains hImseif 10 perform thsn,
in time OF peace. . believe In uniyesoal
military obligatory tratninE of atl sYs
yssnn men In ti'ne Of pencei sne. z
elnss sf war, II uaisersai nsitttsry osSv-
i~S fer every asn Rnd every wonsnn q
whs0rsrs rositioW u IL deemed thet
nsaM ~ woman css hest ren@er sash
service "a tie nation.
A nsbken Heed. .
The mobilization OF the railitIa -
the border hns proved that tho Fedee:
from thr standpoint OF National Pro.
hardness and represents no adequate
national strength either to rspcl sud
den attack or to carry ON prolonged de.
fenpe warfare. tn" nminh!e paclfiol
who wan chosen By Mr.. Wilson. witt
Ms usual exquisite sense OF ogtire ni1.
jtnry unfitn-sH, TO bc Secretary Of war
prntticd with Bryan Ike ohcerfulneet
stn,,e kaw ''tuobilIx xat Ions take D100l