The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-02-12
As Result Of Conflict Abroad,
Says James, and We Must
Meet It Promptly.
,sy ASSOCIATED ,srss,


PHILADELPHIA, Pa. Feb. 12-
The immediate needs Of the country
as pointed out from lessons learned
from the European war were discuss
ed by Edmund ]. James president OF
the University OF Illinois. at the TWEEN
seventh annual dinner OF the
Pennsylvania Scotch-Irish Society
here last night. The conflict abroad,
he declared, has created an acute
situation which we must meet
and meet promptly, by temporary
measures, II we must, but by the
adoption as soon as possible OF per-
manent and far-seeing policies"
Our first and most immediate
need, Mr.. James said, is "a more eff
fcctive system OF national defense, "
not for aggression but to enable the
United States to maintain its
rights as a nation and to protect its
citizens everywhere. He favored a
universal liability to military SER
vice" and world league to enforcr
peace. with power behind it and
Willingness to use the power"
I'm the presence of an armed
world and the possibility Of sudden
attack" the speaker said, at is pure
bunk Of criminal sort for any
statesman or citizen to tell the Amer
lean people that we can safely rely
in any serious EFFICIENCY upon the So
called voluntary system"
Our second immediate need, Mr..
James said, is to establish tariff
policy whereby we can protect eff
hciently and quickly the Industries
of this country from the sudden and
overwhelming disaster which may
easily come to them, or at least to a
part of them, as a result Of the ter
rife strife for the possession of world
markets which will certainly be ar
outcome of the Europea struggle"
In this connection, Mr. James as
serted. the United States must ac'
cept a policy of comprehensive and
harmonious development OF our in
drstries as whole, so that We shalt
not be dependent upon foreign coun-
tries for any of the elements funda
mental for our Industrial prosperity"
This MEANS" he said, "a permanent
and wise tariff policy directed toward
the industrial development Of tho
United States which, by holding an
even hand between labor and capital,
shall secure to each just return
without taxing unfairly the con-
sumeL An important element in
that policy would be the right kind
nj n tariff commission -
An adequate merchant marine.
Mr.. James urged. is our third imme-
date need. On this subject he
thought tie war had brought about
a sudden change in national senti-
ment. $50 frightened have We sud
denly become" he said, THAT we are
seriously considering most remark
able proposition. namely, that the
government should itself go into the
business of building. owning and
managing merchant marine" Mr..
; James held that definite and far
reaching policy of encouragement to
foreign commerce IS natural and
necessary complement tc an intelli-
gent policy"
AS n nation, Mr.. James said, the
United States has learned from the
war that at It's outbreak we we're in
q military sense without defense.
: that we were industrially dependent
OH Europe for some of the lunda-
mental necessities of our national
life, and that we were commercially
dependent on Europe for all our
means of getting out or into the
United states, owing to the secretly
Of our ships. If the war had been
on sea and not on land, he declared,
we would have experienced panic
; tho like of which 1t would be difficult
to find in all history; and would
have been compelled to join one or
The other of the parties to the con-
Aict."
Mr.. James discussed child labor,