Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-02-03
Army Is Not
Large Enough
Wilson BIames Rulers, Not Public
Opinion. for the Present
War In Europe.

Chicago, Feb. 1.-THE United States
has made preparations for immediate
war an far as the navy Ia concerned.
although the present naval force Is In.
adequate In size, President Wilson de-
clared In ar address before several
thousand persons In the Auditorium
here. ao
I'VE mean business" he said. In
speaking Of the preparedness plans of
the administration.
I'VE have givsn to the present fleet
OF ths United States an organization
such as II never had before. ! am told
by Admiral Fletcher" the President
said, "and We have made preparations
for immediate war 10 far as the navy
Ii concerned"
Army 10 Too Small. .
The army. the President said. as at
present constituted. 'is not large
enough even for the ordinary duties
Of peace"
The President repeated his warn
Ing that no time must be lost In
strengthening the defenses OF the ma
tion. He declared the government
was doing everything 1t could for pre-
paredness.
when see some of my fellow citi-
gems spread finder where the sparks
are falling | wonder what their ideal
of Americanism Is he said America,
the President said. had been cruelty
misjudged by the nations now at war.
II know that on the other side of
the water there has been a great deal
Of cruel misjudgment with regard to
the reasons why America has remain.
cd neutral. Those looking at us from
distance do not feel the strong
pulses OF ideals and principles that
are In US.
Americas Mission OF Peace.
They do not feel the conviction
OF America that our mission is q mis-
sion of peace and that righteousness
cannot be maintained as standard In
the midst of arms. They do not real.
ize that back OF all our energy we are
n body OF idealists much more ready
to lay down our lives for thought
than for dollar.
They suppose, some OF them. that
we are holding of because we can
make money while others are dying.
the most cruel misunderstanding that
any nation has ever had to face--so
wrong that 1t seems almost useless
to try to correct Ii because II shows
that the very fundamentals of our life
are not comprehended or understood"
6ismes Rulers for War.
Rulers. not public opinion. brought
the present war. Mr.. Wilson declared.
Il thank God there Ia no man In the
United States who has the authority
to bring on war without the consent
of the nation" he said. The task OF
the United States, he said. has been
to assert the principles of law In
world In which the principles of law
have broken down.
We are not now thinking of inva-
sion of the territory of the United
States" the President declared, that
In not what Ia making us think. We
are not asking ourselves shall We BIO
prepared only to defend our own
homes and our own shoress
What America Stands For.
rs that all we stand forT To keep
the door shut securely against our
enomiess What about the great trus.
teeship set up for liberty OF national
government In the whole western hem
isphere.
I'VE stand pledged to see that both
the continents of America are left free
TO be used by their people as those
people choose To use them under a
system OF national popular sovereign.
ty as absolutely uuchailenged as our
own.
AT this moment the Americas are
growing together upon that handsome
privilege of reciprocal respect and de-
Tense"