The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-02-12
UNIVERSAL LIABILITY
TO MILITARY SERVICE
Is Plan Favored for National Defense BY
Pres. James of the University of ILL
nois in Address Before Pennsyl-
vania Scotch-Irish Society
in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia. Feb. l2-The immediat,
needs OF the country as pointed out from
lessons learned from the European wal
were discussed by Edmund J. James
president of the University of Illinois
at the 9th annual dinner of the Penn
sylvania Scotch Irish society here last
night. The conflict abroad, he declared
"has created an acute situation which
we must meet and promptly, by tenn
porary measures, If we must, but by the
adoption as soon as possible of perma
nent and far-seeing policies"
Our first and most immediate need,
| Mr.. James said. is "a more effective sys-
tenn of national defense" not for aggres.
sion but to enable the United States to
maintain its rights as nation and to
protect its citizens everywhere. He fla
yored universal liability to military
service" and world league to enforce
peace, with power behind it and willing
ness to use the power"
"ln the presence OF an armed world
and the possibility OF sudden attack, !"
the speaker said, "it is pure bunk OF
criminal sort for any statesman or citi-
zen to tell the American people that we
can safely rely in any serious exigency
upon the so-called voluntary system"
Our second immediate need. Mr.. James
said, il to establish tariff policy where
by we can protect efficiently and quickly
the industries of this country from the
sudden and overwhelming disaster which
may easily come to them, or at least to
a part Of them, as result of the terrific
strife for the repossession Of world mar
kets which will certainly be an outcome
OF the European struggle"
In this connection, Mr.. James asserted,
the United States must accept a policy
Of comprehensive and harmonious de-
velopment of our industries as a whole,
so that we shall not be dependent upon
foreign countries for any of the elements
fundamental for our industrial prosper
ty." "1his Means" he said. "a perma
nent and wise tariff policy directed to-
ward the industrial development of the |
United States which, by holding an even |
land between labor and capital, shall Sc
ure to each just return without tax
ng unfairly the consumer. An impor
ant element in that policy would be the
light kind of tariff commission"
An adequate MERCHANT marine, Mr..
lanes urged. is our third immediate
reed. On this subject he thought the
var had brought about a sudden change
n national. sentiment. so frightened
ave we suddenly become" he said, chat
We are seriously considering a most re-
propositions namely, that the
overnment should itself 90 into the bus
ness of building, owning and managing
merchant marine" Mr.. James held
hat definite and far-reaching policy of
Encouragement to foreign commerce "is
atural and necessary complement to an
Intelligent tariff policy"
As a nation. Mr.. James said the
Tnited States had learned from the war
hat at its outbreak we were in a mill
lry sense without defenses that we q
ere industrially dependent on Europe
Dr some of the fundamental necessities
our national life, and that we were !
dependent on Europe for !
i OF our means of getting out or into 4.
re United States, owing TO scarcity of :,
lr ships. If the war had been one on
"A and not on land, he declared 'we
ould have experienced panic the like
which il would be difficult to find in
] history; and would have been com
alled to join one or the other of the
lrties TO the conflict"
Mr.. James discussed child labor. in +
lstrial insurance, pension, til. ed .cation T
immigrant children to the duties and
iyileges of American citizenship and y
milar subjects. "Why cannot our lead y
5 in Washington and elsewhere" he Ia
ked. give their attention to such prob
ms instead of to the best methods Of a.
tracing more pork from the national N
rrelf"