The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-03

which will now be necessary en-
tirely on money borrowed. 1t is
our duty, L most respectfully
urge, to protect our people SO far
as we may against the very seri-
Gus hardshipS and wills which
would be likely to arise out of the
initiation which would be produc-
ed by vast loans.
Gin carrying out the measures
by which these things are to be
accomplished we should keep con-
stantly in mind the wisdom Of
interfering as little as possible in
our own preparation and equip
ment of our own military for
ces with the duty-for it will be
a very practical duty-of supply
ing the nations already at war
with Germany with the materials
which they can obtain only from
us or by our assistance. They
are in the field and we should
help them in every way to be eff
fective there.
II shall take the liberty of sug-
cutive departments of the govern
ment for the consideration of
your committees, measures for
the accomplishm ent of the sever
al objects I have Mentioned. I
hope that it will be your pleasure
to deal with them as having been
framed after very careful
thought, by the branch of the
government upon which the re-
sponsibi1ity Of conducting the war
and safeguarding the nation will
most directly fall.
''While we do these things,
these deeply momentous things,
let us be very clear, and make
very clear to all the world what
our motives and our objects are.
My own thought has not been
driven from it's habitual and nor
NAL course by the unhappy events
Of the last two months, and I do
not believe that the thought of the,
nation has been altered or cloud
ed by them.
81 have exactly the same things
in mind now that 1 had in mind
when I addressed the Senate on
the 22nd of January, last; the
same I had in mind when I ad-
dressed the Congress on the third
of February and on the 26th of
February. Our object now, as
then, is to vindicate the principles
of peace and the justice in the life
of the world as against selfish
and autocratic power and to set
up amongst the really free and
self governed peoples of the
world such concert of purpose
and of action as shall henceforth
insure the observance Of those
principles.
Neutrality is no longer feasible
or desirable where the peace of
the<world is involved and the free
dom Of it's peoples, and the men
ace to that peace and freedom
lies in the existence of autocratic
governments, backed by organ
lied force which is controlled
wholly by their will, not by the
will of their people. We have seen
the last of neutrality in such cir
stances.
'fWe are at the beginning Of
an age in which it will be insisted
that the same standards of con-
duct and of responsibility for
wrong done shall be observed
among nations and their govern
ments that are observed among
the citizens Of civilized states.
1--WE have no quarrel with the
German people. We have no feel
ing towards them, but one of
sympathy and friendship. It was
not upon their impulse that their
government acted in entering this
war It was not with their pre-
vious knowledge or approval.
cit was a war determined upon
as wars used to be determined
upon in the old, unhappy days
when peoples were nowhere con-
suited by their rulers and wars
were provoked and waged in the
interest of dynasties or of little
groups Of ambitious men who
were accustomed to use their fell
low men as pawns and tools.
"SeIf- governed nations do not
fill their neighbor countries with
spies or intrigue to bring about
some critical posture Of affairs
which will give them an oppor-
tunity to strike and make con-
quest. Such designs can be sues
cessfully worked only under COW
err and where no one has the right
to ask questions.
"Cunning1y contrived plans of
deception or aggression, carried,
it may be, from generation to gen.
Grafton, can be worked out and
kept from the light only within
the privacy of courts or behind
the carefully guarded confiden-
ces of a narrow and privileged
class. They are happily impos-
sib1e where public opinion COM
mands and insists upon full in
formation concerning all the ma
TONS affairs.
ga steadfast concert for peace
can never be maintained except
by partnership Of democratic
nations. No autocratic govern
ment could be trusted to keep