Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-02
ROOSEVELT GETS
after WILSON ON
PREPAREDNESS
Ayers the President Took Al
Different Positions in Is Mes
sages, Letters and Speeches
Bitterly Denounces Act of
Sinking Lusitania

Battle Creek, Mich. Oct. l.-Speaking
to more than 1900 persons who were
packed in a cold circus tent here Satur-
ed the administrative record Of President
Wilson and urged the election Of Charles
E. Hughes.
He was received with a wild ovation.
He swept Michigan in the presidential
election four years ago.
Policy of vaeiilation
He declared that President Wilson 8
chief policy was the policy Of vacillation.
He said the President, in Is messages.
letters and speeches made from Dec. 9.
1914, to Feb. 10, 1916, took Al different po-
sitions about preparedness and the meas
ures necessary to secure it, and each Of
these Al positions contradicted from one
to six of the others. The European poi-
icy of President Wilson, particularly In
the Lusitania case. was referred to as
"humiliatng and ignoble.'
The Mexican record of the executive
was called ''ruinous to Mexico, hishonor-
able to ourselves and Infamous from the
standpoint of humanity"
Discussing the Adamson bill Mr. Roose-
welt charged that President Wilson in
urging passage of the measure by Con-
eress took his orders from that one of
the parties which he most feared" He
added
Under Dictation
I'VE have seen in this country FEW
things more dscreditable to our repre-
sentatives and more ominous for the fu-
ture of the nation than the spectacle OF
the President and Congress of the United
States being required to pass certain
bill before certain hour at the dicta-
ton of certain men who sat in the gallery
with their watches in their hands threat
ening ruin and disaster to the nation If
there was the smallest failure to satisfy
their demands"
The colonel referred to the torpedo
ing of the Lusitania by German sub
marine as the most colossal single
instance of the murder of non-combat-
ants. including men. women and chill
dren. that had been perpetrated by any
power calling itself civilized for over
a century,.
II have been asked what ] would
have done if | had been President when
the Lusitana was torpedoed, shouted
the speaker. Il would instantly have
taken possession of every German ship
informed in this country and then
Would have said. Now. we Will discuss,
not what we will give. but what we viii
give back" This utterance received
lid applause.
When he began his attack on the
Adamson bin. he declared that an in
crease of wages and not the eiGht-hour
day was the real issue.
Let President Wilson apply that sa-
cred eight-hour day law to the SER
wants in the White House and see how
far he'll get" he said. II believe IN
the eight-hour day the general rule
toward which we must strive. but l rec
ognize that special needs must be met
in special industries, and that in all
such cases there must be a very care
full consideration of ell the conditions
before final action is taken"
He closed his address with plea for
the election of Charles f. Hughes. He
uged the voters to "repudiate Mr.. Will
son because only by so doing can they
save America from that faint of gross
selfshness and cowardice which we owe
to Mr. Wilson's substitutions of adroit
elocution for straightforward action