The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1916-02-03
President Wilson Urges PeopIs
to Preparedness.
0IAN6D CONDITIONS Az MHN0Ae
Cleveland Speech Unusually Grave
and Warning Of Nations Im-
pending Danger is Given.

cleveland, u New circumstances
have arisen, President Wilson declared
Saturday, which make it absolutely
necessary that this country should pre-
pare for adequate national defense
1--WE 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
SO; and therefore as your responsible
servant / must tell you that the dam
gers are infinite and constant.
II should feel that were guilty Of
an objectionable omission if 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 sde-
quste national defense"
Whenever the ordinary rules of
commerce at sea and of international
relationship are apt to be thrust aside
or ignored y 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. l am afraid of the danger of
shame. l 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.
Il do not wish to leave you with the
impression that am thinking of some
particlar danger. / 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 a single
week, 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. 1t is obvious to
every man that they are of the most
vital Importance to the country. Such
coast defenses as we have are strong
and admirable, but we have not got
coast defenses in enough places. Their
quality is admirable but their qunatity
is insufficient.
And the navy of the United States !
You have been told that it is the sec
ond in strength in the world. ! am
sorry to say that experts do not agree
with those who tell you that. Reck-
oning by its actual strength believe
it to be one of the most efficient navies
in the world: but its strength ranks
fourth, not second You must reckon
with the fact that it is necessary that
that should be our first arm of defense,
and you ought to insist that everything
should be done that it is possible for
US to do to bring the navy up to an
adequate standard of strength and eff
cheney
Where we are lacking more per-
haps is on land and in the number of
men who are ready to fight. The
characteristic desire of America is not
that she should have great body of
men whose chief business is to fight,
but a great body of men who know
how to fight and are ready to fight
when anything that is dear to the ma
ton is threatened. You might have
what we have, millions of men who
have never handled arms of war, who
are mere material for shot and powder
If you put them in the field, and Amer
lea would be ashamed of the ineffi-
cheney of calling such men to defend
the Nation"