The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-03-04
TEACH CONGRESS
SAIS MITCHELL
New FORKS Mayor Urges
Aggressive Work For
Preparedness.
(By AssociatedFPressl

ST LOUIS. March4:7pernocraaeY
lis on trialgtn$the observation-disclosures
arnudiithe:Kmertcan Congress- must meet
The test by establishing, this year. y
complete and adequate national de;
Tense. Mayor Purroy Mitchell Of New
York City declaredYin Q nSaddresssto:
day before the NATIONAL Conference OF
Mayors on Defense. Mayor Mitchell
urged that the Conference take deh'
mite action lookingst to the effective or
ganizatton Of popular opinion in home
districts and the translation OF that
organized opinion ntosimmedtate q
direct pressure" upon Congress-.
THE National Congress- he said.
Els a sensitive body, sensitive to pub:
lie opinion, most sensitive2to pubic
opinion that means votes in the home
district. This convention represents
the people Of cities. Its voice is the
most representative expression OF
American opinion yet had upon this
great question. It's delegates have the
opportunity to light, in every commun:
ity OF, our broad land atire,of informed
and intelligent public sentiment that
will warm 6our Congress into a glow
Of patriotic fervor and endeaVor which
has been c~onspicuously foreign to that
distinguished body during the past
precious. eighteen months"
During these months. Mayor Mitchell
declared; the American people have
been Jared into "a recognition that
their country cannot longer be a de,
tached nation. standing aloof from the
international affairs Of other peoples,
and have come to know that the Unit
ed States must take her place among
ing, or suffer the impairment of her
foreign markets." /,
The preparedness of-7European ma
tons at the beginning of the war, May,
or Mitchell asserted, taught the United
States that its condition was "at once
p~recarious and humiliating."
when, later,lthe lessons OF prepar'
edness and Of international cold-blood'
ed s%elfishness were daily and hourly
being driven home to the world, we
saw our Congress utterly supine. ap'
parently prepared to gamble this ma
TONS security and future on the &C
cident OF chance" he said, Some OF
us conceived that it was the duty OF
local governments TO PUBIC
opinion within their own jurisdiction,
and to bring its impact toibear upon
these irepresentatives in Congress- who,
either through Ignorant stupidity OF
the vernal service of special, interests
have demonstrated that. they held the
selfish. immediate Temporary apparent
interests. OF localities, classes OF
groups superior to the security and in
tegrity OF the nation as q whole II
The Mayor said!that It was the duty
Of the conference to conduct an &C
tive campaign to 1.-THE ends, first, that
our people. mas: be informed as to the
nations real situation, present re-
sources, and. immediatesn needs in this
matter OF the national %defense;" and
second, that our representative con
gressmen and senators may hear the
maseed voices of their constituents
speaking to them in no uncertain tone
and bidding.themsdo their duty in the
establishment now tthis.year, Of com
plete and adequate national Defense
Mayor Mitchell alluded to what he
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