The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-02-03
4 PRESIDENT WILSON ON PREPAREDNESS

, provincialism to suppose that, be-
cause we think differently from the
lest of the world, we are at liberty tG
assume that the rest Of the world
will permit us to enjoy that thought
without disturbance.
1T is a surprising circumstance
also that men should allow partisan
feeling or personal ambition to creep
into the discussion of this fundamen-
tai thing. How can Americans differ
about the safety of America?
Prosecution of Peace.
"And l, for my part, am ambitious
that America should do a greater and
more difficult thing than the great
nations on the other side of the wat
err have done. In all the belligerent
countries, men without distinction of
party have drawn together to accom-
plish successful prosecution of the
war. Is it not more difficult and a
more desirable thing that all Ameri-
cans should put partisan passion
aside and draw together for the sue
cessful prosecution of peace? covet
that distinction for America, and
joy that distinction.
only the other day the leader OF
the republican minority in the house
of representatives delivered speech
that showed me he was ready, and l
take it for granted that the men be-
hind him were ready to forget party
lines in order that all men may act
with common mind and impulse for
the service of the country. And l
want, upon this first public occasion,
to pay tribute of respect and obliga-
ton to him.
II find it hard indeed to approach
this subject without deep emotion,
gentlemen, because, when we speak
of America and the things that are to
be conserved in her, does it not call
wonderful picture into your mind?
America is still young, she is not even
in the heyday of her development and
power.
think of the services which those
forces can and must render to the
rest of the wolrd.
America has been reluctant to
match her wits with the rest of the
world. We have protested to pro-
vincialism. We have prOfessed to
stand behind protecting devices and
now we are thrust out to do, on a
scale never dreamed of in recent gen.
erations in America, the business Of
the world.
1--WE can no longer be provincial
nation.
Let no man say, if he would speak
the truth, that the question of per-
lection of national defense is a ques-
ton of war or peace.
IF there is one more passion deep
seated in the hearts of our country
men than another, it is the passion
for peace. Partly because, in the
plentitude of it's power, in the re-
stricted area of it's opportunities, it
has found nothing to cOvet the pos
sessions and power of other nations.
There is no spirit of aggrandize-
ment in America. l have sought to
maintain peace against very great,
and sometimes, very unfair odds, and
am ready, at any time, to use every
power that is in me to prevent such
a catastrophe as war coming upon
this country.
Principles Better Than Peace.
Gentlemen, there is something
that the American people love better
than they love peace. They love the
principles upon which their political
life is founded. They are ready at
any time for the vindication of their
character and of their honor. They
will at no time seek contest, but
they will at no time cravenly avoid it.
Because, if there is one thing that
the country ought to fight for, and
that every nation ought to fight for,
it is the integrity of it's own convic-
lions. We will not surrender our
conviction. l would rather surrend-
er territory than surrender those
ideals, which are the staff of life for
the soul itself.
America has more than once CIV
en- evidence of the generosity and
disinterestedness of it's love of liber-
ty of others as we'll as for it's own
liberty. The world sneered when we
set out for the liberation of Cuba,
but the world does not sneer any
longer. The world knows now what
it was then loathe to believe, that a
nation can sacrifice it's own interests
and it's own blood for the sake of the
liberty and happiness of another
people.
Champions of Liberty
"Ana, whether by one process or
another, we have made ourselves in
some sort, the champions of free
government and national sovereignty
in both continents of this hemisphere.
So that there are certain obligations
that we have undertaken. The first
and primary obligation is the main
tenance of the integrity of our own
sovereignty-which goes as matter
of course. There is also the main
tenance of our liberty to develop our
political institutions without him
drance, and last of all, there is the
determination and the obligation to
stand as the strong brother of all
those in this hemisphere who will
maintain the same principles and fol-
low the same ideals of liberty.
Explains Mexican Policy
MAY I venture to insert here a
parenthesis? Have any of you
thought of this? We have been slow,
very slow, indeed to win the conf
dence of other states of the Ameri-
can hemisphere. If we should 60 into
Mexico, do you know what would