The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-06


of Defense, the chairman of the organ
ization, W. d. James of Fort Atkinson,
presiding. The governor did not arrive
at the hall until 8 o'clock, as the train
was late, but the audience listened to
brief addresses by Gordon E. Bacon
selections and the Girls glee club of
the high school sang patriotic song
previous to the speaking.
Mr.. James in his address referred to
Wisconsin as a loyal state and refuted
the imputation of its being a Stacker.
He quoted as an example the states
registration record wherein Wiscon-
sin registered LOG per cent in the
draft call according to the census.
Gov. Philips Speech.
81 wish l might come here and dis
cuss with you the pleasant subjects of
life. l wish that 1 might be permitted
to discuss the best interests of our
commonwealth, the development of
agriculture, of education-in fact, all
things that are calculated to improve
us intellectually, to beautify our
homes and make the earth better
spot for man to live.
However, a situation has arisen in
the world that forbids such discus
sions and wherever | go to meet our
people and address them our highest
interest compels me to discuss the
subject of war.
We have been a peace-1oving nation,
and with the exception of the brief
period of the Spanish American war
there has scarcely been rumor of
war in this country for over fifty
years. If there has existed any doubt
anywhere in this wide world about the
peaceful disposition Of the American
people our absolute lack of prepare
ton for war must now dispel that
doubt, and | think that we should all
be willing to admit that as people
we have been a nation of pacifists
A situation has arisen in the world
which forces the conclusion upon us
that although great and resourceful
as this country is we are not entirely
Independent of the balance of the
world and that conditions have arisen
that compel the American people to
at least temporarily, abandon their
peaceful inclinations and engage in
the game OF war if they wish to de-
fend their rights as a nation and up
hold our ideals before the world.
Times Have Changed.
The policy Of non-interference il
the affairs of Europe was established
by our first president, George Wash
ington, over one hundred years ago
and remained the settled policy Of
this country until now. That policy
took definite form in the promulga
ton of notice to the nations of Eu
rope by President Monroe, which was
in fact a declaration aimed at foreign
Intervention in the political affairs O.
Independent American states, ane
secondly, a warning against further
European colonization on the Ameri
can continents.
If this country had remained the
nation of small farmers, small trades.
men, trappers and frontiersmen that
it was when Washington issued his
farewell address, his policy would be
as wise now as it was then. However
things have changed. New economic
questions have arisen all over the civ
ilized world. Our own development
agricultural and industrial, In the past
hundred years is without parallel in
the history of the world. From a ma
ton OF thirteen small states with a
population of over three million peo-
pie in 1900 we have developed into
the richest country on the face of the
earth. Our agricultural and industrial
growth has placed us at the head OF
the nations of the world, and we estim-
ate our population to be over one hun.
dred million.
This great progress has brought tC
our industries produce more than We
can ourselves consume and in order tc
maintain our population in a condition
Of prosperity we are obliged to keeI
open the roads of commerce to the
civilized nations Of earth in order that
we may exchange commodities with
them.
We must DO more if we mean to pre-
serve this government and keep oul
people free. We must defend oul
ideals against the aggressions OF
those nations and their rulers who
would wish to make military autoc.
racy the ruling government of the
world. The war that we are engaged
IN now has been brought about by the
violation of American rights upon the
sea and by the further, and perhaps
more important cause, the attempt up
on the part Of European powers tC
establish military autocracy on con.
tlnental Europe strong enough to die
tate the commercial policies of every
country in the world and to make it.
self menace not only to our own
democracy but to every other country
that is now governed by the people OF
cess of development
To state it briefly, then, we entered
this war to protect the rights of Amer
lean commerce upon the sea, to pro-
tect the rights of the American citi.
zen upon land and sea and to encour-
age and preserve our own ideals OF
government for ourselves and for the
people of earth.
The struggle had been going on in
Europe for over two years before we