The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-07-20
GUNTER'S
MESSAGE
DELIVERED TO MEMBERS OF
COLORADO GENERAL ASSEM-
BLY, IN EXTRA SESSION.
Many Matters of Unusual Importance
for Consideration by War Body az
Troops Of State Are Mustered
Into Federal Service

| Western Newspaper Union News Service
Denver.-On the 18th, Governor ]. c.
Gunter delivered the following mes
sage to the members of the Twenty
first General Assembly. convened in
extraordinary session:
Mr. President and Members of the
| Twenty first General Assembly:
| When this body gathered and ad-
Journed in regular session our nation
was at peace with all the world, now,
tanic struggle which has marked the
course of history. Every effort known
to the law of nations, to the wisdom
| OF diplomacy, has been availed of to
avert upon honorable terms participa-
tion in this conflict-all in vain. Tho
United States of America-our country
500. 900. 600 of people equipped by years
Of military training; and whose splen-
can doubt Wrong are the rulers of
devotediy do they follow these lead.
| ers Our people constitute peaceful
nation they love their quiet homes,
their peaceful pursuits, the upbuilding
of their country. but the time has new
er been when the call to arms has
| sounded that the American people have
failed to become the brave and eff
necessary to the gage of battle. First
they have carefully weighed the Jus
tice Of their cause. have invoked the
blessings of high heaven upon the
credness of their combat. then have
they unsheathed the sword and with
all the enthusiasm and power of the
| nation thrown themselves into the con-
| flict. While this great Republic en-
| dures. its citizens will thrill with the
thought that marked the birth of the
| nation. Recall the scene as the found
ers of our Republic. facing the little
less than certainty of all the penalties
of high treason-death and attainder
of Dlarn nj al hai
| natures to the covenant:
And for the support Of this
Declaration tof Independence),
with firm reliance upon the
protection of Divine Providence,
we mutually pledge to each other
our lives. our fortunes and our
You the war Legislature of Colo
RADIO. are today enacting another sol
| pledge for yourselves and every citi-
zen of this commonwealth. Almost i'm
possible to realize. I know, surrounded
| as We are with the comforts and pleas
ures of home and the usual activities
of business life. yet terribly true it
| is. we are in a state of and in
| few short weeks pathetic evidence of
| this reality will be coming to US from
| over the seas. Yours is the grave re-
| sponsiblity of providing for the peace
and good order of this state in this
| hour of peril and making provision for
it's generous and loyal support of the
| nation. General Assembly after Gem
eral Assembly of this commonwealth
may gather under this granite sup
ported dome; but no graver RESPONSE
| bilities VIII come to its membership
than are now in the keeping of the
Twenty-first General Assembly. Hon
ored at any tttle th , rs .ne citizen ahI1 to ne
| Colorado, but especially to sit a
member of the War Legislature of our
| State.
EXTRAORDINARY SESSION.
The constitution of state en-
| powers the chief executive on extra
ordinary occasion to convene the Cen
eral Assembly. The PROCLAMATION has
| your deliberations and the purposes of
convening should be before you.
Immediately upon the national dec
laration of a state of war, urgent mes
| sages came from the nations chief ask
ing an inventory of our resources, our
agricultural lands, our timber lands,
coal, zinc, lead. copper, ordinary pro-
duction, possible production; railroads,
men employed in various activities. In
citizenship to contribute to the ma
tons needs in the great world war.
| Urgent injunctions likewise came to
| guard our resources against alien enc
mics. war advisory council to the
| governor and other committees in aid
Of state action were selected. They took
| up their respective fields of activity.
Information was gathered. activities
entered upon. reports prepared and
| substantial results attained.
| The inventory of the states affairs
| discloses 100000 square miles of terri
tory, population 1000. 900, diversity of
| nationalities, diversity of interests,
| hundreds of reservoirs, the dams of
| dozens of which are greater than the
| Johnstown dam, impounding more wa,
ter and il broken the possibilities of
destruction therefrom greater. Reser-
voirs in the Arkansas watershed and
lying hereunder more than 100000
| acres of highly cultivated land; reser
voirs in the Rio Grande watershed ly
ing hereunder more than 200,0 acres
of highly cultivated land. Without
further mention your minds supply
| other great reservoirs within our state
| and immense bodies of agricultural
land irrigated therefrom. Unnecessary
| to more than suggest the stupendous
and widespread ruin that would be
consequent upon their destruction.
Coal mines 1874, production from Janu
100000 tons. All important that the
production of these properties be con-
tinuous and the production enlarged.
| Employed in and aDound these mines,
$4,000; a substantial part alien enc
miles. Copper, lead and zinc mines,
yielding ores of value Of practically
about $4,000; considerable part be-
ing alien enemies. Power plants, stor-
age plants. many thousands of miles
Of railroads with much of their mile
age through our mountainous sections.
Heavy construction, lengthy tunnels,
comes the warning from Washington,
| the dictate of common sense and pa
triotism: provide for the security of
these properties" The State Guard
| was called, but not man more than
| necessary, and many hours OF anxiety
were experienced in the fear of made
quate protection. These steps have in
| volved substantial expense.
August 5th the National Guard of the
state will be mustered into federal
service. 1t was Colorado's duty to fill
up this guard, at heavy expense.