Middletown transcript., 1916-02-05
PRESIDENT FIRES
DEFENSE GUN
Liberty and Honor More Import
ant Than Peace.
THE COUNTRY WANTS ACTION
Convert To the Need Of Preparedness.
Says Men OF High Character
Who Becloud the Issue
Are Provincial.

New York.-President Wilson open
ed his personal appeal to the country
for national defense here.
He gave warning that plans for the
readjustment of the army must be
formulated and carried out without de-
lay, and solemnly declared he could
not predict that the outlook for the
United States would be as bright to-
morrow as today.
In Fighting Mood.
Mr.. Wilson was in a fighting mood
throughout his address. In a speech
delivered early in the day he declared
he always accepted an invitation to
fight At night he told the railroad
men he was an advocate of peace and
had struggled to keep the United
States at peace, but he considered the
liberty and honor of the nation even
more important than peace.
Woe to any man who plays marplot
or who seeks to make party politics Or
personal ambition take precedence
over candor, honor and unselfish, un-
partisan service!" said the President
in speaking of his defense plan before
the railroad men. He declared that
the country expects action; this is a
year of accounting, and the accounting
must be definite on the part of parties
and on the part of every individual
who wishes to enjoy the public con-
fdence.
For my part, hope every man in
public will get what's coming to him."
said Mr.. Wilson amid laughter and
applause.
Nearly 1,500 business men heard the
speech at the railway banquet. The
President cast aside almost entirely
the text of the address that he had
previously prepared for delivery there,
and he was frequently interrupted by
applause.
Has Learned Something"
The President admitted that in a
message to the last Congress he had |
said the need for preparedness was
not pressing. He declared that he |
had learned something in the mean
time. He cited his recent support of
a tariff commission as another in |
stance of a change on his part, but de-
clared that previously there was no
need for such commission. The busi-
ness men enthusiastically cheered his
support of the commission.
Mr.. Wilson spoke of men of high
character who were clouding the pre-
paredness issue. He declared they
were provincial, and that the United
States could no longer cut itself from
the rest Of the world.
The President vigorously defended
his Mexican policy. He asserted that
to invade Mexico would mean the
losing of the confidence of the rest of
The Western Hemisphere. He cited
The freeing of Cuba as an instance of
good done by the United States.
"If we are drawn into the male
strom which now surges in Europe"
he President declared, I'VE shall not
be permitted to do the high things we
would prefer"
The President defended the CONT
rental army plan drawn up by Secre-
ary Garrison and said that he did not
,are about the details of any plan as
ong as 100000 trained men were pro-
7ided as reserves under the Federal
Government. He advocated strength
,ning the National Guard, but said the
Constitution itself put the guard under
he state. He added that the United
States will not turn in the direction of
nilitarism.
Outlining why the United States
hould prepare, Mr.. Wilson said we
must protect out rights as a nation and
he rights 6f et4iEE citizens III III AAffferiie America
md outside of it as the consensus OF
civilized peoples has defined them;
must insure the unembarrassed
ealization of our political develop.
nent within our own borders, and
must protect the peace and political
autonomy of the Americas.