The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-02-03
Climax to His Campaign of
Preparedness at Kansas
City Meeting
LED $4,000 PEOPLE
IN SINGING AMERICA
Says He Has Been Thrilled by Patri-
otism Which Has Been Manifested
Everywhere in Past Few Days =
mot a Day to Be Lost.

KANSAS CITY, Mo, Feb. 3. = BY |
far the biggest and most enthusiastic
crowd encountered on his trip gave
President Wilson a remarkable and
spectacular demonstration here last
night. 1t came as a climax to the
campaign for preparedness, which has
been much like a march of triumph.
The President was deeply moved. At
the close of his address he asked that
he might lead the $4,000 people crowd
ed into Convention hall in singing
America.
The Kansas City demonstration fol-
lowed an impressive meeting earlier in
the day at Topeka. President Wilson
asserted the right of Americans to
travel abroad and their right to send
food, cotton, and manufactured prod
ucts to peaceful populations "in open
neutral markets. and wherever the
conditions of war make it possible to
DO so under the ordinary rules of inter
national law.
- 1t may be necessary to use the
force of the United States to vindicate
the rights of American citizens to en-
i iov the protection of international
/ law he declared emphaticallv.
/ When the President arrived in Tope-
z
scattering. When he left Topeka
thousands roared friendly farewell.
| Mr.. Wilson was greeted by a tumult
of applause when he appeared to ad-
dress the crowd here, the first outburst
lasting more than two minutes. The
applause continued intermittentlv sew
eral minutes more before order was OBJ
tanned
Responding, the President made an
impassioned appeal for his preparedness
program.
A navy impregnable to navies of
the world is the first need of this coun-
try, he asserted.
. If the fame from a world on fire,
he said, "creeps in on Us it may creep
in from both coasts. And here we are
without enough ships to patrol them.
= Do you know the sweep of the
coast from the canal to Alaska2 It is
nearly one-fourth the circumference OF
the earth. And the coast from the st
| Lawrence to the gulf2 Do YOU think q
navy that ranks fourth is sufficient?
Speaking of the regular army, he
said:
4 haven t had enough men to pre-
vent Mexican bandits from raidins
across the border of the United States
1t has been a very notifying situa
tion, indeed, In fact, | have beer
tempted to ask congress to help Texa.
build up its little band of Rangers
Do you want me to preserve peac,
with honor?' he continued. But wha
is back Of me? 1t is necessary that
come and ask You this question, for
do not know how long the mere DIG
nifty and majesty of the nation will b.
sufficient.
, =" Speaking with all soIemnity ae
sure you there is not a day to be lost
for the peace of the United States doe
| not depend on what | can do; it de
] ponds on what the commander of som
/ ship at sea does or the commander O
some submarine, or those in charge O
4 blockade, as the case may be. 1t dC
t ponds on the Judgment of scores o
men. America must see that we ar
ready to defend our rights.
= have seen editorials sneering a
: the number of notes written by IL
state department to foreign govern
ments, asking why we do not act. An
in some Of these same papers / hav
5 seen editorials against preparing thi
G nation. That NAV be the temper of tn
editorials, but it is not the temper o
= the people of the United States.
The President said that he was sur
! congress would respond, although pei
haps after much debate
$ / came on an Grand and see wha
!. happened, he said What did