The midland journal., 1916-02-04
PRESIDENT FIRES
DEFENSE GUN
Liberty and Honor More import
ant Than Peace.
THE COUNTRY WANTS ACTION
Convert To the Need Of Preparedness.
Says Men OF High Character
Who 5ecIoud the Issue
Are Provincial.

New York. President Wilson open
ed his personal appeal to the country
for national defense here.
He gave warning that plans for the
readjustment of the army must be
formulated and carried out without de-
lay. and solemnly declared he could
not predict that the outlook for the
United States would be as bright to-
morrow as today.
In Fighting Mood.
Mr.. Wilson was in a fighting mood
throughout his address. In a speech
delivered early in the day he declared
he always accepted an invitation to.
fight. At night he told the railroad
men he was an advocate of peace and
had struggled to keep the United
States at peace, but he considered the
liberty and honor of the. nation even
more important than peace.
Woe to any man who plays marplot
or who seeks to make party politics or
personal ambition take precedence
over candor, honor and unselfish, un-
partisan servicei" said the President
/ in speaking of his defense plan before
the railroad men. He declared that
the country expects action; this is a
year of accounting, and the accounting
must be definite on the part of parties
and on the part of every individual
who wishes to enjoy the public con-
fidence
For my part, hope every man in
public will get what's coming to him."
said Mr.. Wilson amid laughter and
applause.
Nearly 1900 business men heard the
speech at the railway banquet. The
President cast aside almost entirely
the text of the address that he had
previously prepared for delivery there,
and he was frequently interrupted by
applause.
Has Learned Something"
The President admitted that in
message to the last Congress he had
said the need for preparedness was
not pressing. He declared that he
had learned something in the mean
time. He cited his recent support of
a tariff commission as another in
stance of a change on his part, but de-
c1ared that previously there was no
need for such a commission. The bust
ness men enthusiastically cheered his
support of the commission.
Mr.. Wilson spoke of men of high
character who were clouding the pre-
paredness issue. He declared they
were provincial, and that the United
States could no longer cut itself from
the rest Of the world.
The President vigorously defended
his Mexican policy. He asserted that
to invade Mexico would mean the
losing of the confidence of the rest of
the Western Hemisphere. He cited
the freeing of Cuba as an instance of
good done by the United States.
"f we are drawn into the male
strom which now surges in Europe"
the President declared, I'VE shall not
be permitted to do the high things we
would prefer"
The President defended the cont
mental army plan drawn up by Secre-
tary Garrison and said that he did not
care about the details of any plan as
long as 100000 trained men were pro-
vided as reserves under the Federal
Government. He advocated strength
ening the National Guard, but said the
Constitution itself put the guard under
the state. He added that the United
States will not turn in the direction of
militarism
Outlining why the United States
should prepare, Mr.. Wilson said we
must protect out rights as nation and
the rights of our citizens in America
and outside of it as the consensus of
civilized peoples has defined them;
must insure the unembarrassed
realization of our political develop
ment within our own borders, and
must protect the peace and political
autonomy of the Americas.