The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-01-30

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which their lives rested And
America has done more than care for
| her own people and think of her
own fortunes in these great matters.
| She has said ever since the time OF
! President Monroe. that she was the
champion Of freedom and the separate
sovereignty of peoples throughout
| the western hemisphere. She Is
trustee for those ideals and she Is
pledged deeply and permanently to
keep those momentous promises.
She, not only therefore, must play
her part in keeping this conflagration
from spreading to the people OF the
United States; she must also Keep
this conflagration from spreading on
this side Of the sea. These are
matters in which our very life and
our whole pride are embedded and
rooted, and we can never draw back
from them. And l, my fellow citi-
zens because Of the extraordinary
office with which you have entrusted
lHS, muSt. "uetuCl Will VI hots oS
your responsible spokesman in these
great matters. 1t is my duty there
fore, when impressions are deeply
borne in upon me, with regard to the
national welfare. to speak to you with
the utmost frankness about them;
and that Is the errand upon which
have come away from Washington.
For my own part, am sorry that
those things fall within the year of
national political campaign. They
ought to have nothing whatever to do
with politics. The thing to do now is
for all men. Of all parties, to think
along the same lines and to do the
same things and forget every differ
ence that may have divided them.
And what ought they to do? In
the first place, they ought to tell the
truth There have been some extra
ordinary exaggerations both OF mill
tary weakness and the military
strength OF this country. Some men
tell you that we have no means of
defense and others tell you that we
have sufficient means Of defense, and
neither statement is true. Take, for
example, the matter Of our coast de-
fences. 1t is obvious to every man
that they are of the most vital inn
portance to the country. Such coast
defenses as we have are strong and
admirable, but we have not coast de-
fences in enough places. Their quail
ity is admirable, but their quality is
insufficient Do not let anybody de-
ceive you into suppos.ng that the
army OF the United States, 30 far as
it has had opportunity, is in any de.
gree unworthy of your confidence.
And the navy Of the United States:
you have been told that it is second
in strength in the world. l am sorry
to say that experts do not agree with
those who tell you that. Reckoning
by its actual strength, believe it to
be one Of the most efficient navies in
the world; but its strength ranks
fourth. not second. And you must
reckon with the fact that it is neces.
sary that should be our first arm Of
defense
Where we are lacking more per-
haps, is on land and in the number OF
men who are ready to fight. Not the
number of fighting men, but the mum.
Der OF men who are ready to fight.
Some men are born troublesome;
some men have trouble thrust upon
them and other men acquire trouble.
I think I belong to the second class.
But the characteristic desire OF
America Is not that she should have
a great body OF men whose chief busi-
ness Is to fight. but great body OF
men who know how to fight and are
ready to fight when anything that Is
dear to the nation Is threatened.
You might have what we have, mill
lions OF men, who had never handled
arms OF war who are mere material
for shot and powder II you put them
in the field. and America would be
ashamed of the inefficiency of calling
such men to defend the nation. What
we want is to associate in training
with the army Of the United states.
men who will volunteer for sum
Gent length of time every year to get
the rudimentary acquaintance Win
arms.
81 have heard It stated that there
are probably several millions OF men
in this country who received a sufh-
Gent amount OF military drill elther
here or in the countries in which they
were born and from which they nave
come to us. Perhaps there are; no
body knows. They are not obised 10
come at our call. That Is not NIT
tary preparations. Military prepare.
ton consists in the existence or
such a body OF men known to the red
eral authorities, organized provision.
ally by the federal authorities ana
subject by their own choice and VIII.
to the immediate call OF the federai
authorities. And we have no such
body OF men in the United States ea-
cept the national guard. the Wnoie
national guard OF the United states
falls short OF 1870. 600 men. 1t IS char.
acterized by very great variety OF
discipline and efficiency, as between
state and state, and 1t is by the con-