The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-08-07

Wisconsin sent her national guard
south to Camp Macarthur fully
equipped, at states expense. Every
soldier wore a khaki uniform; all had
received shoes, campaign hats, legg-
ings, WOODEN shirts, blankets, etc. Ev-
cry man had modern gun; his own
mess kit and every company had it's
own mess outfit; it's tents and SO forth
In the equipping of her soldiers Wis
consin has expended over 100000.
A comparative table of volunteer
enlistments in states surrounding
Wisconsin as we'll as several southern
states is as follows:
Wisconsin's volunteer eulistments
was 54.16 per cent
| Iowa's volunteer enlistments was
49.76 per cent.
Qhio's volunteer enlistments was
41.49 per cent.
41.40 per cent.
Illinois volunteer enlistments was
34.52 per cent.
Minnesota's volunteer enlistments
was 3151 per cent.
| Georgia's volunteer enlistments was
32.43 per cent.
| North Dakota's volunteer enlist
ments was 31.69 per cent.
| Michigan's volunteer enlistment was
30.88 per cent.
| Louisiana's volunteer enlistments
1888 per cent.
| Oklahoma's volunteer enlistments
was 21.78 per cent.
| In report rendered by the War de-
partment Wisconsin ranks eleventh
among all the states, territories and
districts of the Union upon basis OF
percentage of volunteer enlistment,
being exceeded only by Hawaii, Ore
gon, District of Columbia, Maine, New
Hampshire, Wyoming, Vermont, Rhode
Island, Kansas and South Dakota.
| On August 1 Wisconsin had $4,000
men in the service of the United States
army and navy. When we have filled
our August quota the number will be
increased to over 100000 men.
In all money subscriptions the peo-
pie of Wisconsin have responded in a
most liberal manner. Wisconsin's first
Liberty loan subscription was SO per
cent of the states allotment The
second Liberty loan subscription was
over 14O per cent of it's allotment. The
third Liberty loan subscription was
165 per cent of it's allotment
In all collections made for the Red
Cross and other similar organizations
the subscriptions have far exceeded
the allotments. On August l Wiscon-
sin had contributed more than $780,
100000 to war activities, exclusive of
the purchase of War Savings Stamps
Pre-War Position.
| A desperate effort is being made by
an element of politicians and political
newspapers to convince the people
that l was not militant American
prior to the declaration Of war.
call attention to a telegram which
| sent to the New York Herald under
date of March Is, 1917, which should
dispose for all time Of all the mis-
statements and innuendos that have
been made regarding my personal
views prior to the war.
! The circumsta noes under which
the telegram was sent were briefly as
follows: There was a meeting of New
England governors called in the east
for the purpose of taking some decis-
i've action regarding the declaration
OF war, which was then expected, and
the preparations that it was thought
wise to make to support the govern
ment. The New York Herald asked me
to give an expression of my views for
the state of Wisconsin, My reply was
as follows:
| TELEGRAM.
Madison, Wisconsin, March Is, 1917.
New York Herald, New York.
The people of Wisconsin do not
want war and wish that the President
avoid it, if he can do so without the
sacrifice of our national honor. II war
must come, the President of the United
| States may rely upon it that the peo-
pie of this state will support him and
their country with a whole heart and
with all the strength that they possess.
The American people demand that
they be protected in their rights on
land and sea and that the government
enforce such protection.
The government will not be prepar-
ed to enforce such protection unless it
makes immediate provision for an
adequate army and navy
(SigneO E. L. Philip,
Governor of Wisconsin.
AS before-the-war expression,
made practically month before war
was declared, this telegram should
satisfy any person interested in the
subject. The massage was given wide
publicity, and the Eau Claire Tele-
gram, which evidently is the personal
organ of one of my opponents, made
the following editorial comment on
March II, 1917:
Governor Philip recently sent
telegram in reply to a request of
New York newspaper for his view Of
| the action of a conference of eastern
governors at Boston in support of the
President, and the expression of the
governor of Wisconsin is one which
deserves to be placed ON record.
This utterance, firm and well balanced,
and to the point, reflects credit on the
state, and the state needed it,
Just what my political enemies may
wish to add to or subtract from the