Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-28

ted to do the high things we would pre-
fer" t
Continental Army
The President defended the continental
army plan drawn up by Secretary Garri-
son and said that he did not care about
the details of any plan as long as $4,000
trained men were provided as reserves
under the federal government. He advo-
Gated Strengthening 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 protec,
our rights as a nation and the rights Of
our citizens in America and outside of
it as the consensus of civilized peoples
has defined them; must ensure the unem-
barrassed realization of our political de-
velopment within our own borders and
must protect the peace and political au-
tonomy Of the Americas.
Industrial preparedness, with the mill
tary training Of students in industrial
schools. was proposed by the President.
He left discussion of the navy plans for
later addresses. The business men who
formerly relied on protective measures
in their dealings with foreign powers
were criticized by Mr. Wilson. He said
American business men should be able
to hold their own against the world.
The President asserted that the Ameri-
can people love the principles upon which
their political life is founded better than
peace.
They are ready at any time to fight
for the vindication of their character ana
their HONOR the President declared
'They will at no time seek a contest, but
they will at no time cravenly avoid it.
Because if there is one thing that the
country ought to fight for and that every
nation ought to fight for it is the integ-
rity Of it's own convictions. We cannot
surrender our convictions. I would rath-
er surrender territory than surrender
those ideals which are the staff of life
for the soul ITSELF
Praise for Congressman Mann
The President praised Rep. Mann, MI
nority leader Of the House of Represent
atives, for a speech he made earlier in
the week advocating preparedness. He
said he took it for granted that the men
behind Mr.. Mann were ready also to for
get party lines in order that all men
might act with common mind and i'm
pulse for the service of the country.
Some Of Those at Banquet
Near President Wilson at the Railway
Business Association banquet sat May
or Mitchell Of New York, Samuel Rea,
president Of the Pennsylvania Railroad;
Senator Harding of Ohio; Frank Trum-
bull, chairman of the Chesapeake ~
Ohio Railroad; John II. Fahey, presi-
dent of the United States Chamber or
Commerce; W. G. Besler, president OF
the Central Railroad of New Jersey;
Alfred H. Smith, president of the New
York Central lines; Frederick d. Under
wood, president of the Erie Railway;
George Pope president Of the National
Association Of Manufacturers; NJ. Y.
Kennedy, president of the Cumberland
Valley Railroad; William T. Noonan,
president of the Buffalo, Rochester and
Pittsburgh Railroad; Irving T.. Bush.
president of the Bush Terminal ana
former Gov. Cox of Ohio.
Shortly before the speaking began
Mrs. Wilson, accompanied by Miss Mar
saret Wilson, the Presidents daugh-
ter. and Dudley Field Malone, collector
Of the Port of New York entered bal
cony box overlooking the banquet hall.
AS they appeared the President rose
with the other guests and joined in the
applause which greeted them.
George A. rost, president Of the Rail-
road Business Association. introduced
the President in an address devoted TO
preparedness and the future OF the rail-
roads. He said the Presidents last
message to Congress had encouraged
railroad men to hope that a wise solu-
ton of the railroad problems might DC
reached through q sincere governmental
study of the reciprocal relation OF the
carrier and the carried.
The Presidents Address
In his address at the Railway AS
sociation banquet, President Wilson
said
1.-The exact census of my ofncial ou-
ties have recently been so great tnat
it has been very seldom indeed tnat
I could give myself so great a pleas
ure as that which l am enjoying to-
night. 1t is a great pleasure to come
and be greeted in such generous fasn-
ion by men so thoughtful as your
selves and so deeply engaged In some
of the most important undertakings
of the nation; and I consider II is
privilege to be permitted to lay De
fore YOU some of the things to when
we ought to give our most careful ana
deliberate consideration. The ques-
ton. it seems to me, which most de-
mands Qualification just now is the
question to which your toastmas'e'
has referred-the question OF pfepai-
edness for national defense.
CIouded by Passion
az saw that it stands in need OF
because, l
enough. it has been deeply clouded py
passion and prejudice. 1t is very SIN
eular that a question. the elements
Of which are so simple and so oovl-
ous. should have been so beclouded oy
tho discussion of men of high motive,
men of purpose as handsome as any
Of us NAV claim, and yet apparently
inca pable of divesting themselves Oh
that sort of provincialism which con-
sists in thinking the contents OF tne'r
own mind to be the contents OF the