Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-05-27

and Central America lie open to US and
the door in the Far East is not yet
closed although it is being pushed shut
by the tremendous commercial develop
ment of Japan.
FOREIGN POLICY
We want a strong, dignihed, foreign
policy: not bullying policy or a quar-
rplsome one; but policy which viii give
American citizens wherever they may be.
SO long as they are living within the laws
of the land of their residence, a feel
ing Of confidence that their government
is behind them.
We want foreign policy such as Theo-
dore Roosevelt de. r.bed so tersoly and
Enthusiastically when he said, Speak
softly, but carry "A big stick" We will
go far with such a policy.
We want foreign policy seeking peace
and friendly relations with all nations:
believing in arbitration; not seeking trou-
BILE; but policy which will look after
our own people.
MILITARY POLICY
Our military policy will depend very
largely on our foreign policy. our for
oign policy is not aggressive; consequently
our military and naval establishments do
not Heeu 10 pc the largest IN the
world"
We do not want n large army We
want small but highly efficient one.
/ recommend to Congress an army of from
3UOoO to o2500O men. This would be double
the size of the army we had before the
war, and little moro than third the
size Of the army of $4,000 men RECON-
mended by the administration. An army
Of $4,000 men would cost us 81, 900, 900 O'N
a. year and 7 can see no reason for ii.
Then we must have a good navy, al
ways ready. Not the biggest navy in
the world; but sufficient one. We want
q good, small army sufficient for the
police needs Of the nation.
The national defense act has declared
that we arc to keep our militia Hence,
back OF the army and navy will De the
rn1ntfa and as long as W, have II we
must Loyalty support il.
Back Of that we must nave your re-
serve corps of officers, men who have had
training. We have them now in these
youngsters who have been through the
gOssi WAL. Th;" We must have the mum
lio,is OF WAT made and stored for an
emergency. W. must remember that
yor canno. do ;uirgs over night: and
that modern war comes IKE az ;ssaisnche
nor llbt 2larlcr.
Th-:: aCk ii the army. navy ant
militia you Inust consider some form o.
rrejning for rational service-universa
trainini; for citizenship. let us call it
The Fundamental idea in any system OF
universal training for national service
pnould enbody "A plan for brief period
! IF intensive training; a period of moi
los. t14r four nor more than six months
| LEAGUE OF NATIONS
As people we ar" anxious to hav,
definite action taken with refcrenc,
To tho treaty and the league. For my
self. 7 think that we should approve
the League with reservations which
thoroughly Amcrcanizo it-rescrvation.
! which will leave America absolutely
free to follow her traditional policie:
! to control without Interference hel
! own internal affhirs-.-in other words
Tree 10 follow tho dictates OF America,
pubic opinion ~ expressed through
, the instrumsntalities provided by tn,
constitution. which should preserve a.
far rs possible tho machinery provid
cd by the League to bring the repre-
sentatives of the people Of the nations
togethcr to talk things over hcfor
they resort to force
AGRICULTURE
ono OF the most important problem
o! our country to-day is that whicl
Las refcrence 20 the cultivation Of tn
SOIL There has been :. steady iucrcas
IN the proportion of largo holdings o
iand, In many Instances purely 20
opccuiaGon. In some OF the new States
Oklahoma for instance, 30 per cent o
the land IL owned by absentee land
lords. In othor States, the averag
OF absentee landlords is over so pc
cont We must try 10 correct thes