Show PREPAREDNESS FOR FORWAR WAR MAR AND BUSINESS i I I HUGHES THEMES Pledges Himself If Elected to Efficient Army and Navy Leadership PORTLAND Ore Aug 16 Charles Evans Hughes Republican presidential nominee arrived in coma P Portland early t today from T Tacoma His program for today Includes three re receptions two addresses and an automobile automobile au au- ride over the Columbia river highway He will l leave Portland at o o'clock Crock Thursday morning for San Fr Francisco I SEATTLE Aug 16 IQ In his hiss s speech at the arena here last night Mr Hughes a assailed sailed the thea a administration ministration for its preparedness prepared prepared- n ness ness ss policy declared that he had b been en informed and believed the navy wk was undermanned and lacked supplies a aid and d' d equipment and pledged himself If It elected to see that both the army a at d navy had efficient leadership A nation must be ready for every e emergency the nominee said sald We Wear Weare ate are ar not militarists I cannot but be amused at some of the bogies my good fr friends ends conjure up when we speak on subject There is no reason why w we should not be prepared There is no reason why we should invite disrespect and contempt because we are not reasonably reason reason- ally ably and adequately prepared Only Oly Common Sense Reasonable preparedness is simply n national common sense sense I confess I do donol donot not nol like the way the present administration administration administration adminis adminis- has dealt with this matter It learned its own mind too late and even then it was not sure of it We had difficulties to the south of us that were at least suggestive Soon the whole world was concerned with military matters It was not a time when one c could uld be surprised Persons who urged the administration tion to prepare Hughes said were called nervous and excited Suddenly the administration changed its mind he continued and an appeal was made not to congress but by the executive directly to the people A A. program was formally presented by the adminis adminis- I It was almost as formally aban aban- I The secretary of ot war had spent some time in formulating that plan When it was abandoned he took It so BO sos s seriously that he he- abandoned the ad ad- ministration Hughes repeated the declaration that the country was unprepared when it became necessary to send troops to the Mexican border Wants Wanta Efficient Army I r think we should have a regular army large enough to attend to duties o of that description he said My point is not so much with respect to numbers numbers numbers num num- bers as to efficiency Take our navy for example That Is the great arm of our service We should have in our navy department a must most efficient leadership lead lead- men men qualified for tor the great task of adequately representing and d dealing with this great arm of defense We should have leadership capable of efficient organization I Z do not like to go into the details with respect to the naV navy I believe they are far tar from satisfactory I am Informed and believe believe- that the navy nary is ia deficient In the organization that it should have I am informed and be behove believe believe be- be lieve hove that every ship is undermanned that we wo have not enough supplies and equipment that there is not an up to date policy that will us efficiency We have no lack of ot men men in this country who can properly preside over tho the navy department and I propose if It the American people elect me to the theoffice theoffice office to which I aspire aspiro to see that In both army and navy navy- we have competent competent com com- efficient leadership Our preparedness of a military and naval sort Is merely preparation from froma a national point of view similar to that which a city has when it is prepared to keep the peace within its borders The policies of organization demand careful consideration For Business Preparedness Hughes then declared that preparedness prepared prepared- ness also should extend to the commercial commercial commercial com com- mercial phase of American life to cope with European competition after the war lie He assailed the administration for Its Mexican l policy and said that it had failed to protect American citizens in Mexico notwithstanding the Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic platform of 1912 which declared for tor the protection of American rights rights' abroad We said to our citizens in Mexico Come away come away We did not send them a copy of ot the Democratic platform I If we ever fall so low that we think it is unnecessary to protect American citizens we might as well haul down the flag A declaration by the nominee that he wanted to see the great empire of Alaska developed was greeted by ap ap- ap- ap This he said could best be bedone bedone bedone I done under a protective tariff Hughes left at midnight for tor Portland |