New Britain herald., 1916-01-28
THE BAY OF ACCOUNTING.

THE BAY OF ACCOUNTING. What now Is. going to happen to ! those who have, all along harped on
 President Wilson's one phrase, "too
 proud to fight" after it is learned that he was in a fighting. mood 1 throughout his addresses in New York last night when he fired the l opening gun in his campaign for strengthening the national defense? | What answer will be made to his de- claration that he always accepts an 1 invitation to fight? What must be | done after his assertion that although he is an advocate of peace and has 1 always striven to keep the United l States at peace, he considers the lib- 1 erty and honor of the nation more | important than peace? It begins to l look as if the President of the Unit | ed States has lost some of his pride, down to one little phrase of four l words lifted bodily from a ten thou sand word speech and have that branded as This policy" There is | such a thing as being too proud to | fight, but there is also such a thing | as fighting for very pride.
 There will be many reverberations | of the first shot fired by the Presl- 1 dent last night In his talk before the Railroad Business Association in New | York. It was a mighty charge and carried with 1t enough force to make itself heard not only in every part of this country, but in every diplomatic nook and oranie abroad. With such
 brilliant start the President should
 find no trouble in convincing the
 American people, and through them
 the powers of the world that the land of the free and the home Of the brave is not on the verge of go- ing into a long, long sleep; but that 1t is awakening for a vigil that will keep watch scrupulously over it's every interest. Every chancellory in Europe must know this so that when the end of the great struggle now going on there is over no eyes will be turned mahciously in this direction To this end the President would have us protect our rights as nation and the rights of our citizens in America and outside 1t and also the peace and political autonomy of the Americas, which in another way around means the upholding of the Monroe Doc Urine.
 Striking the one thought which all the peace-at-any-p price men and pa cifists in general seem to have over looked, the President emphatically shows that making preparation 10 safeguard the life of the nation does not necessarily conf1ne Itself to a policy of war and does not involve in any degree a desire to bring war about. He assures his people that America will not turn In the direc- tion of militarism" merely because it would nave an army ana a navy Cap able of taking care of the interests
 of it's citizens and defending the na-
 ton from any foe that might creep
 upon it in the darkness of the night
 and when least expected. To do all
 this 1t Is absolutely necessary that
 we have the proper power and we
 cannot have this by casting aside
 our courage or starving to death our
 dogs of war. We need an adeuuate
 national defense to do all these things
 and now Is the time to whip it into
 shape. As the President has appro-
 priately pointed out, this is the year
 of accounting and the country expects
 action. And the accounting must be
 definite on the part of parties and all
 those who would enjoy the public
 condolences. If not, we hope with
 the President that "every man in
 public life will get what's coming to
 him." The will of the people must
 be obeyed, and they want protection.
 Let this truly be the day of account
 ing.
 Britain ho r5o