The Detroit times., 1916-02-16
ELIHU ROOT
ARRA|GNS
PRESIDENT
Declares Wilson Has
Forfeited Worlds
Respect
DENOUNCES ACTS
IN MEXICO
Asserts l.. $. Should
Have Protested Bel
gian Invasion
BY UNITED PRESS

4 Ata 49, fo
campaign has been sounded.
| Ii was accepted in political circles
today that the speech of Elihu Root
before the New York state
convention, in which he bitterly
attacked the Wilson administration
foreign policy. the Democratic tariff
and denounced the administration "a
generally incompetent. win serve as
tentative platform upon which the
Root followers will go tefore the
people in the coming campaign.
Dealing with the Lusitania nego-
tiations, Root declared:
''No man can draw a Iistol who
dares not shoot The government
that snakes ITS FIST first and its tin.
ger aflerward falls into contempt
This quotation, Roots friends de-
clared. may be expected 10 De one
OF the most prominent that will be
used in the coming fight
| The former senator declares the
administration 10 lie "blindly Stun
bling along The road that, continued.
viii lead TO inevitable war"
Root pledged the Republican par
", IL returned TO power. TO for
eign policy frank aud fearless and
honest" and leaving no doubt any
where Ct Americas PURPOSE 10 pro-
teci her Independence, her territory
and the lives and just rights o. her
citizens under the laws @. nations.
lie vigorously denounced the VII
son poiicy OF Gealins with Mexico.
but the greatest demonstration came
when he referred TO the failure OF
the American government to assert
itself when belgium was invaded
In violating the neutrality of Bel
giuin. Root declared. Germany moi
only shocked al iiberty-loying Amer
Icans. bH broke her international
law contract with the United States.
Whether middlowest Republicans,
particularly those with large Ger
Inan-American constituencies, viii
| approve any reference in the RepuO-
hcan platform at Chicago TO the
Belgian affair. was a sui jet of great
specuIi lion today.
In The prepared copy Cf the ex-
senator speech. Root referred ia
friendly manner to Colonel Roose-
welt. ag enc OF lhc critics OF the vii
son administration foreign policy.
For some unexplauable reason he
olritted this reference TO Roosevelt
in niH speech last night.
The Fight in the convention today
centers around the naming OF the
rbig four" the delegates AT large 10
the national convention. Despite q
nght threatened by tho snti-Whit-
man faction 1; appeared certain the
governor would be- named as one OF
/ the delegate. No reference was
made TO WhiInan's administration
7, in Roots speech, but il Il expected
the convention Vii 20 on record
with an endorsement OF some sort.
"For the FIRST time IN ~ years We
enter the field as the party o. opp0-
sition, and indeed ~ Is a much long n
time. for in 1896. ia all respects save
the tarin. the real ppositlon - the
sturdy and patriotic course 81 Pres'-
. dIft Cleveland was 90 he fOund IN
the party that followed Mr.. Bryan
l. IL IL our duty as the opposition u
bring the Democratic party TO ia,
bar OF public Judgment, 10 put u an.
i on It's defense 40 far-aS -rre -&cR-i-Ia- -
and substantial grounds TO criticiz'
Its conduct. and 20 ask tho voters .
1.-THE country 10 decide whether tina
party, organized as IL IL, representa-
as IL has been since IL came int
power has shown Itself competent 4
, govern the country as Ia should b.
governed. and whether It's spirit. ~
policies and IT, performances are tn
best that tho American people can q
In the way Of popular self-govern
imcnl.'
Dispensing the domestic situation
. before the European war began. Nj
Root declared that during the
months uf Democratic control ther
had been - steady decrease v
American production. IN exports an
ia revenues. and a steady Increase q
imports and expenditures" Enterpris
hnd halted. he asserted. and new un
, dertakings no longer made their ap
pearance, and the cOuntry's produc
a tive industries were IRbOring undo
q mlsht tariff devised by the Demo
= cratic party in a spirit % suspicion
distrust and hostility towards Ameri
y can DuStneHS entefprtres ana irafA
portation and commerce had becom
J dull and dependent" The tarii
? commission created under Republican
| Legislation TO ascertain the facts up
! on which tariff laws should be Oa 80,
; Mr. Root said. had been driven on
1 Of business and no substitutes pro
vided 40 Washington. ne declared
I, there was nervous dread Les
|. somebody mako money. and "env
: OF business success was an etemen
: In the framing Of legislation and IN
= administration OF the laws. Mr.. Roo
. continued
'.fThe great war has not change
the lesson which We had alread
learned when IL began. ~ has bu
obscUred further demonstration.
has caused an enormous demand 10
some things which the United state
H. able To produce In large quaint
ties. and in these lines Of production
while other industries still Ian
euish. there have been extensive EN-
ploy ment Of labor. great exports and
| a great Influx Of money. But this Ia
temporary. IL must soon cease, and
when the factories have stopped and
their inborers are no longer employ
! ed We fnuat deal with a situation foI
which wise forethought should mako
provision
Taxing up foreign relations. AIR
Root sakd that for the first time
Iwjthip the memory OF men now Ev.
t)u0 these relations ARE recognized
= a ,..1' Z, I II. = 4