Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-04
CHAPTER xxx

| Of1tAG 1E1O ~A<A1A
" HE critics of the president will
l. ask the question: What was
n the president doing to prepare
the country for war, which to him
| scanned inevitable? From the IN
side, and without the plare OF
| trumpets, he was quietly engaged
in comforting with the heads or the
| army and navy departments. In
| deed, from the minute the third
Iusitania note was dispatched, ac-
tual preparations for war were be-
gun. Immediately upon the dls-
patch Of the note. the following
| statement was issued from the
White House, under date of July Il,
1916:
"White House, Washington,
July 81, 1916.
sThe president in association with
| the heads of departments, regard
less Of present day conditions or con-
| troversies, has long been giving
| great deal of consideration to the
| preparation of a, reasonable and ade-
| quate naval program, which he IN
| tends to propose to congress at the
| proper time.
''That is one of the things he is
| now considering in the quiet Of Cor
nish. He feels, now that the note
has been dispatched, that it is best,
| for the time being, to drop the dis
cussion of it as far as he is con-
cerned, and is turning to questions
| of permanent national policy.
"Of course he realizes that he
! must have the best practical advice
| obtainable in this matter and is
| seeking for it from every available
source. In fact, it is known that
| the best minds of the various de-
| partments of the government, both
| of the army and the navy, are now
| and: have been at work on these
| important matters for some time;
! that is, he is seeking advice from
| the men in those departments who
| have been most directly in touch
with the new conditions of defense
that have been evolved out of mod
ern experience. He not only wish
| advice from those who have
| knowledge of actual modern condi-
| tions of land and naval warfare. He
wishes the navy to stand upon an
| equality with the most efficient and
serviceable.
| Gas to the army, it is known
here that he is preparing to in
corporate in his next message to
congress program in regard to the
development and equipment Of the
army and a proper training of the
! citizens of the United States to arms
4 which, while in every way consistent
with American traditions and nation
al policy, will be of such a charac-
ter as to commend itself to every
patriotic and practical mind. In
this matter he is working with the
secretary of war and his profession
al associates, who, it is understood,
have reached sorhe very definite
conclusions on these exceedingly i'm
portant matters. He is anxious to
have a program that will be def
mite and positive, and wishes to have
the information in hand before lay
ing the matter before the commit
tees of the senate and house."
Il Text of Statement
Contemporaneously with this state
ment was issued the following state
ment, which was prepared by the
president, but-issued over my name
the full significance of which was
not apparent at the time:
The note third Lusitania
note) having been dispatched,
the president felt that it was
best to drop further discussion
of the matter for the present, as
far as he was concerned. He
will be free now to devote his
time to a full consideration of
matter that the country has for
long time been thoughtful of
that is, reasonable program
of national defense. OF course,
this program will be considered
regardless of present day condi-
tions.
1t is known that the president
has been considering this impor-
tant matter in all it's aspects,
and has been in touch with the
secretary of war and the secre-
tary of the navy regarding it.
1t is also known in official cir
Giles here that the president had
taken steps before leaving for
Cornish to instruct the army
and navy departments to make
ready for his consideration q
careful program of national de-
Tense in preparation for the pres
entation of his views to con-
gress at the proper time.
He desires to have the pro-
gram based on the most practi-
! cable lines obtainable from the
departments and it is said that
the best minds in the depart
ments are at present at work
on the subject. He hopes that
the program will express the
best traditions of the country