French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-02-03
|IXTEEN THOUSAND CHEln
WHEN PRESIDENT WILSON
DEMANDS PREPAREDNESS
bief Executive Wants Steps Taken During the Coming
Month to Back Him Up in Defending American
Lives and Commerce Abroad.

Kansas City, Mo-, Feb. 2.-President
i1son demanded tonight that steps
hegun during the present month to
sck him up in defending American
Lps and commerce abroad. His de-
Iand met with shouts and applause
Inn an audience of sixteen thousand
brsons who waved American flags.
bped to their seats and cheered.
fWhen the president ceased speaking
leaned forward and asked the
Feat throng to join him in singing
kmerica." The band played softly.
tehaudlence stood and the words of
l. patriotic anthem came in a glort-
lis burst of song.
For the President.
The big crowd was for the president
4lcm the start. 1t waited patiently ar
nur to see him and cheered itself
narse in a three-minute demonstra-
. lon when he appeared. Sixteen thou
u Ind heard him; twenty THOUSAND
Eere turned away and ten thousand
. here tried to glimpse him as he leiL
Lis hotel IOF the nall ~
why. some men in Washington are
uestioning if he could get the fv,
hundred thousand men for which the
royernment is making" he said at one
boint Of his address
Would they volunteers"
A man in the far end Of the hall
Shouted yes" and others echoed the
word until the hall was in a turmoil.
why l believe" the president said
S the tumult died. you could raise
be i've hundred thousand men in al
best any state L believe you coded
. let five thousand men right here =
N bis audience. I have been thrilled
E the experiences Of these last fe1
lays, and [ will go home to Washing
cn and smile at the gentlemen who
by the United States is not awake.
These gallant men who sit on the
i'll in Washington and make our laws
Re going to deliver the goods
Fowd cheeTed-"don't misunderstood
Ee, they are going to deliver the goods
ecause you want the goods delivered,
What is Back of Him.
Il have come to ask you what is
ack Of NE in this task of preserving
t once peace and your honor" the
resident said. ''The judge on the
Eench has the law back of him with It
ailiffs ,sheriffs, national guardsmer
md the United States army, but if you
gnore in some foreign capital what
he president urges as the rights OF
he people and government of the
TEited States. what is there back OF
t?
1T is necessary that I should come
md ask you this question because 1
l0n't know how long the mere word
ind ins:stence of your government
Pill prevail to maintain your honor
tnd the dignity and power Of the ma
tion.
There may come a time-I pray
POD it may never come-but it may in
EDite OF everything we can do-upon
Fs when I shall have to ask I have
Eaid my say; who stands back of it?
Fhere is that force by which the right
Ind majesty of the United States are
70 be indicated and asserted"
The president declared the need was
and that action should be
begun within the present month.
L assure you there is not a day to
be lost" he said, mot because ther"
is any special crisis, but because do
not know twenty-four hours ahead
What will happen.
The future does not depend on us,
but upon commanders. of ships and
and upon b1ockades and
upon many other men,: big and little.
The president presented warning
nat most of the munitf9n factories OF
he United States were on the, Atlantic
seaboard and that therefore the nH-
-lon must be ready to repel the first
attack in order to avoid disaster. The
present army, the president said, was
50 small that he did not even have
enough soldiers to station along the
Aexican border to prevent bandits
rom crossing the line. Il have even
elt," he said, like asking congress
70 encourage the recruiting of Texas
hangers. We are witnessing caty-'
;IlsmL and God only knows what the
issue shall be-" was the way he pre-
laced his conclusion in which he ask
~ his audience to keep cool, but to up
lold the judgment of the governmnt
II = It's demands for a larger, more eff
lectlVe means of national defense.