Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1917-03-24


States is unprepared for war with
any iirst-class power, committee OF
the Union League Club, headed by
OK iobert Bacon, former Ambassador
to France, and including in its meber-
ship many men of prominence, pre-
sented at special meeting Iuesdy
evening a report calling upon the
country to get ready for action
Charles T.. Hughes presided.
If we go to war with Germany,
said the report, "our only real protec-
tion will /be the ships of the French
and British navies and our own navy
which is under manned.
I'VE have no coast defenses which
could prevent the landing OF troops on
our shores. We have no defense
which would prevent the complete
and immediate capture OF our coast
cities and ammunition factories in the
coast states OF New Jersey and Con
necticut, as we'll as every one of our
navy yards. The facility with which
a hostile power could land troops on
our shores have been repeatedly and
universally said.
Our regular organizations lack
many things which are vitally essen
tial in modern war. We lac. guns,
machine guns of all types. We lacl
grenades and bombs. We are without
Europe. We are without Various
trench mortars OF the type in use II
kinds of field signal apparatus. We
are short of modern field wireless
We are without any OF the modern
types CT heavy mobile artillery, such
as is in general use in Europe.
I'VE are short of reserve rifles ant
all field artillery. We have not
field gun for volunteers. Our supple!
OF reserve ammunition are ridiculously
small"
In opening the meeting Hughes
said: There is principle involved
in the attacks that have been made
and the success of that principle dc
not think it is too much to say, threat
ems the integrity of our country. II
that principle successfully main
tanned, the question is not simply
commercial rights. | regard these at
tacks. the method of their conduct as
an onslaught on the liberty and on civ
ilization itself. 1t is time that tho
American people understood it. All
organizations exercising public infu
ence should record their convictions.
Elihu Root declared Germany is
making war on the United States.
Technically there may not be a
war" he said, because it may be tha'
il ta''es two to produce that, but Ger
many is making war upon us, and we
are all waiting to see whether we are
to take it lying down. 1t is either
war or it is submission to oppression.
my diagnosis of the situation is
that the President wants to hear
Whether the people of the Uniteed
States want him to go on and act,
He has said so many times. Let us
answer him and tell him that the
American people do not want him to
discuss, to plan or to talk about what
is going to be done, but TO act"
Root said the multiplying millions
of the Orient were seeking an outlet
for national evolution, and that the
only territory left open to them was
that which extended from Terra Del
Fuego to the caribbean sea, protected
by nothing but the Monroe doctrine
Root said the letter of Foreign
Minister Zimmerman OF Germany to
Mexico and Japan for the disembar-
ment OF the United States revealed a
Subtle purpose which has been
thought out and which is being worked
out and W II continue to be worked out
until this country stands alone and
dcfenseless against immediate and
contiguous superior military power
"Now, if our voice can be heard,
he decl red in closing, "if we can dc
sunnethiuC auvthiuc RI make our GOV.