Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-01
PRESIDENT COMPANIES NAVAL
EFFlciENcY WITH LACK or
MILITARY PREPAREDNESS.
TIME 70 ACT - NOW,
He TELLS CHICAGO HEARERS
Foreign Policy Defended Against Mis-
understandings Of European Nations
Pians For Reorganization Revealed
-Favors Governments Munitions
Plants.

war as Tar a. tNe navy lS concerned,
altho the present naval force is made
quate In size, President Wilson de-
clared Monday night in an address be-
fore several thousand persons in the
auditorium here.
We mean business he said. in
speaking Of the preparedness plans of
the administration. I'VE have given
TO the present fleet of the United
States an organization such as it never
had before. am told by Admiral
Fletcher And we have made prepara-
tions for immediate war, so far as the
navy Is concerned"
The army. the president said, as at
present constituted, lis not large
enough even for the ordinary duties of
peace
The president repeated his warnings
that no time must be lost in strength
enfng the defenses of the nation. He
declared the government was doing
everything 1t could for preparedness.
Misiudssd by Europe.
when see some of my fellow
citizens spread finder where the sparks
are falling wonder what their ideal
Of AInericanism is. the president said.
America. he added. has been cruelty
misjudged by the nations now at war
4 know that on the other side Of
the watet there has been a great deal
of cruel misjudgment with regard to
the reasons why America has re-
NAMED neutral. Those looking at US
from distance do not feel,the strong
pulses OF ideals and principles that
are In us.
They do not feel the conviction of
America that our mission is a mission
Of peace and that righteousness can
not be maintained as a standard in
the midst OF arms Thsy do not real
ize that back of all our energy we
are body OF idealists much more
ready to lay down our lives for a
thought than for a dollar.
Not Msrcenary Action.
They suppose. some of them. that
we are holding off because we can
make money while others are dying.
the most cruel misunderstanding that
any nation has eyed had to face-so
wrong that 1t seems almost useless
to try to correct 1t because 1t shows
that the very fundamentals Of our life
are not comprehended or understood"
Rulers. not public opinion, brought
about the present war. Mr.. Wilson
declared.
u thank God there is no man In the
United States who has the authority to
bring on war without the consent of
the nation" he said"
The task of the United States. he
said. has been to assert the principles
of law In world In which the prin-
ciples of law have broken down.
I'VE are not now thinking Of in
vasion Of the territory OF the United
States" the president declared. That
is not what is making US think. We
are not asking ourselves: shall we be
prepared only to defend our own
homes and our own shores?
Pan-Ameriean Pledge.
is that all we stand for? To keep
the door shut securely against our
enemies? What about the great trus-
teeship set up for liberty OF national
government in the whole western
hemisphere? We stand pledged to see
that both the continents OF America
are left free to be used by their people
M those people choose to use them
under . system OF national popular
sovereignty as absolutely unchallengeI
as our own.
AT this moment the, Americas are
growing together upon that handsome
privilege Of reciprocal respect and de-
fense."
Detailed plans for strengthening the
army and navy, and the aviation corps,
and for making munitions and arna-
ment by the government were outlined.
The president spoke for nearly an
hour.
Thru Crowded Streets.
Crowds lines the two blocks from
the presidents hotel to the Auditorium
theater, where his speech was deliv-
cred Along Michigan boulevard the
sidewalks were thronged with persons
hoping to catch q glimpse Of Presi-
dent Wilson as he was driven from the
Blackstone hotel 10 the Auditorium.