The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-02-03

1
night. 1t came as climax to the
| campaign for preparedness, which
has been much like a march Of tri-
umph.
The President was deeply moved.
| At the close of his address he asked
that he might lead the $4,000 people
crowded into Convention. Hall in
singing America"
| The Kansas City demonstration
| followed an impressive meeting earlier
in the day at Topeka. President Will
| son asserted the right of Americans
| to- fravel abroad and their right to
send food, cotton and manufactured
products to peaceful populations Gin
| open neutral markets. and f'wher-
ever the conditions of war make it
possible to do under the ordinary
rules of International law"
| TT may be necessary to use the
force of the United States to vindt-
| cate the rights of American citizens
to enjoy the protection of interna-
tional law he declared emphatically.
| When the President arrived in To
peko the applause which greeted him
was scattering When he left To-
peka thousands reared a friendly
farewell,
| of applause when he appeared to ad-
dress the crowd here, the first out
/ burst lasting more than two minutes
| The applause continued intermittent
| ly several minutes more before order
| was obtained.
Responding, the President made an
| impassioned appeal for his prepared
ness program.
"a navy impregnab1e to navies of
the world is the first need of this
| country he asserted.
eff the flame from a world on
| fire. he said, "creeps in on US it
may creep in from both coasts. And
here we are without enough ships to
patrol them.
''Do you know the sweep of the
coast from the Canal to Alaska? 1t is
nearly one-fouPth the circumference
of the earth. And the coast from the
St. Lawrence to the Gulf? Do you
think navy that ranks fourth is suf-
ficfent ?''
Speaking of the regular army, he
said:
st haven't had enough. men to pre-
vent Mexican bandits from raiding
across the border of the United
States% It has been a very notifying
situation, indeed. In fact, have been
tempted to ask Congress to help
Rangers"
Not a Day to Be Lost.
.ssDo you want me to preserve peace
with honor ?'' he continued. But
what is back of me? 1t is necessary
that I come and ask you this cues
ton, for do not know how long the
mere dignity and majesty of the ma
ton will be sufficient
Speaking with. all solemnity, I as
sure you there is not a day to be
lost, for the peaces of the United
States does not depend on what can
do; it depends on what the comman-
der of some ship at sea does, or the
commander of some submarine, or
those in charge of a blockade, as the ,
he
ment of scores of men. America must
see that we are ready to defend our
rights.
ct have seen editorials sneering at
the number of notes written by State
Department to foreign governments,
asking why we do not act. And in
some of these same papers I have
seen editorials against preparing this
nation. That may be the temper of
the editorials, but it is not the tenn
per of the people of the United
States
The President said that he was sure
Congress would respond, although
perhaps after much debate.
t'I came on an errand, and see what
happened he said. What did
meet? Multitudes at every stop, not
there to see the President of the
United States-he is not very much to
look at-but to declare for the ma
jesty of the government of the United
States.
ST have been thrilled by these few
days" the President added. "and I
shall go back to Washington and
smile at anyone who tells me the
United States is not awake"
War Counsel Over Resources.
The President said that for the first
time in the history of the nation the
railroads were being called into coun-
sci to make effective for military pur-
poses the arteries of the country, and
business men were being consulted
upon the use to be made in event of
war of the nations resources, Modern
war, he said, required preparedness.
81 have no doubt" he added. that
all of the 100000 men I want would
volunteer. from any of the states if
the call came
He was interrupted by cries of
"Can on Missouri and 1--WE will be
with you
yes, I haven't a doubt 5000 men
would volunteer from this hail." the
President said. There were cries of
you're just right we would
Mr.. Wilson went on to say that it
was wrong to send unframed men to
war, although they might be the fin
est men in the land.
PRESIDENTS
I'm the Spanish-American war he
said, 1--WE sent thousands of men to
their death because they were I'M
trained. They died in the camps like
flies"
The President appealed to the peo-
pie to let Congress know just where
they stood. He had not the slightest
doubt, he said, as to what the people
of the States through which he had
passed thought of the question Of ade
Quate preparedness.
The President demanded that work
be begun during the present month to
back him up in defendisg American
lives and commerce abroad.
Get ON Hind Legs and Talk.
IT want you to get up on your hind
legs and talk he shouted. Tell the
people who represent you what the
nation desires and demands-the thing
that ever-YhOdv in a denocracv is lis