The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1916-02-11
President Wilson Urges People
10 Preparedness.
CHANGED CONDITIONS ARE MENA0A(
Cleveland Speech Unusually Grave
and Warning Of Nations I'm.
pending Danger is Given.

Cleveland, o. New circumstance
have arisen, President Wilson declared
Saturday, which make it absolutely
necessary that this country should pre-
pare for adequate national defense
I'VE are in the midst Of a world
that we did not make and cannot al.
ter" the President said. "Its whole
atmospheric and physical conditions
are the conditions Of our own life, al
80; and therefore as your responsible
servant ! must tell you that the dan
gers are infinite and constant.
II should feel that were guilty of
an objectionable omission il | did not
go out and tell my fellow countrymen
that new circumstances have arisen
which make it absolutely necessary
that this country prepare herself for
war, not for anything that smacks in
the least Of aggression but for ade-
quate national defense.
Whenever the ordinary rules of
commerce at sea and of international
relationship are apt to be thrust aside
or ignored" he continued, ''there is
danger of the more critical kind of
controversy.
America is not afraid of anybody.
l know reflect your feeling when l
say that the only thing am afraid of
is not being ready to perform my
duty. am afraid Of the danger of
shame. am afraid Of the danger Of
inadequacy; am afraid Of the danger
of not being able to express the cor
rect character of this country with
tremendous might and effectiveness
whenever we are called upon to act in
the field of the worlds affairs.
He was applauded frequently and
when he spoke Of defending the ma
tion's honor the cheering was tremen-
dous.
II do not wish to leave you with the
impression that I am thinking of some
particlar danger. l merely wish to
tell you that we are daily treading
amidst intricate dangers. The dam
gers that we are treading amoung are
not of our own making and not under
our control. think no man in the
United States knows what single
week, a single day, single hour may
bring forth"
The President spoke of the navy and |
the coast defenses, saying:
"Take for example the matter of |
our coast defenses. It is obvious to
svery man that they are of the most |
vital Importance to the country. Such
coast defenses as we have are strong
md admirable, but we have not got
coast defenses in enough places. Their
luality is admirable but their qunatity
8 insufficient.
"And the navy of the United States
You have been told that it is the sec
md in strength in the world. am
orry to say that experts do not agree
With those who tell you that. Reck-
ming by its actual strength believe
t to be one of the most efficient navies
n the world; but its strength ranks
ourth, not second. You must reckon
vith the fact that it is necessary that
hat should be our first arm of defense,
nd you ought to insist that everything
hould be done that it is possible for
IS to do to bring the navy up to an
dequate standard of strength and eff
iency.
Where we are lacking more per-
APPS is on land and in the number of
len who are ready to fight. The
desire of America is not
hat she should have a great body of
len whose chief business is to fight,
ut a great body of men who know
ow to fight and are ready to fight
,hen anything that is dear to the ma
ion is threatened. You might have
that we have, millions Of men who
ave never handled arms of war, who
re mere material for shot and powder
you put them in the field, and Amer
"a would be ashamed Of the ineffi-
iency Of calling such men to defend
he Nation" /,