The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-03-02

ocean for ruinouS depredatlOnS on tn
attack on the lives of non-combatants?
Could any great nation survive, ought
any great nation to survive, which
~cravenly yields itS rights at the sum
mons of the aggressor? The same law
which guarantees our rights to terri
torial waters authorizes US to sail
freely on the high seas. If belligerents
are permitted to exclude us from the
oceans, why should they not also ap-
propriate our territorial waters-Or
even march their armies across our
frontiers? The surrender of one ma
tional right weakens and imperils
every other. Come what may u ma
ton must defend it's rights. And with
united hearts and resolute determine
ton the American people stand be-
hind President Wilson; and they will
not tolerate either the paralysis OF
American shipping or the murder OF
American citizens"
His Military Preparedness.
There is a third feature of wash
Iington's statemanship which is es-
pecially instructive at the present
time" DR.. Schurman also pointed out"
"T mean his advocacy of military pre-
p~aredness and his general attitude to
the questions of peace and war
Though Washington was a great
general and fought a victorious war
for national independence he was no
glorifier of militarism. On the other
hand he was equally removed from
pacifism. He regarded war as n OF
the inevitable features of national ex-
I~istence. Listen to the wise words he
addressed to congress in his first
speech after reelection:
"T cannot recommend to your
notice measures for the fulfllment OF
our duties to the rest of the world,
without again pressing upon you the
necessity of placing ourselves n a
condition of complete defence, and OF
exacting from them the fulfilment OF
their duties towards us. The United
States ought not to indulge a per-
suasion, that, contrary to the order OF
human events, they will forever keen
at a distance those painful appeals tc
arms, with which the history of every
other nation abounds. There is a rank
due to the United States among ma
tions. which will be withheld, if not
absolutely lost, by the reputation OF
weakness. If we desire to avoid in
suit, we must be able to repel 1t; Il
we desire to secure peace, one OF the
most powerful instruments OF oul
rising prosperity, it must be known
that we are at all times ready for war.
His Philosophy of Speech.
"In this passage you have Washing
toms whole philosophy of peace, war
and preparedness. Nothing truer o.
wiser has aver been written, ant
Washington's words are as true ant
wise and applicable today as the9
were when he uttered them in 1893
Undoubtedly there have been many
changes IN the century and a quarter
THAT has since elapsed. Communica-
tions by sea and land have greatly
improved, intercourse with foreign
countries has increased, internationa
relations have been multiplied. Blu
human nature is substantially un'
changed. and national ambitions ant
rivalries. stimulated by create
prizes, are more intense n perhaps
more explosive than ever before
Whatever be the future prospects o
the human race, we have not We
reached that stage of rational an'
moral development in which justice
righteousness, and public law can dis
pense with the sanctions of physlca
force. !.
.It is a painful situation for Amer1
ca, dedicated as she is to peaceful IN
dustry, democratic government, ant
| the promotion of the general welfare
War is a contradiction of these hlgl
aims. Yet there is no gain saying Tn
truth of Washington's words: II w
want to secure peace we must at al
,ltimes be read for war Indeed the say
ing is truer now than ever before. Fo
war today is conducted on such
colossal scale, and makes use OF sue
a vast and multiform organization Q
economic and industrial as well a
military instrumentalities, that a ma
, ton u%nprepared to defend itself nigh
: easily be subjugated before 1t ma
5 time to organize its resources an
2 Bring it's armies into action. 'Coul
8 Washington, therefore, speak TO u
s to-day he would more fervently ina
: ever implore his countrymen to pro
a vide an adequate national army, t
/ nrescribe universal military trainin
o for our Young men, and to organic
p thoroughly in time of peace all tn
: economic, industrial, and militar
4 forces which in time of var would b
necessary for the defence of the ma
n ton.
Policy of Administration.
K 81 want to consider, in the las
place, Washington's conception OF tn
relation of the United States to othe
nations in any form of league or al
lance or concert, or (f you prefer To
), more modern language in any kind {
q international organization. Washing