Show PRE SIKHS WORD I 1 16 10 HUME f J annual message pleads for concerted and efficient I 1 action I 1 I 1 FOR GREATER REGULAR ARMY citizen soldiery part of hla his plan problem of commercial mobilization stated disloyalty among certain elements in our national life serious menace to peace washington dec 7 president wilson 40 today delivered the following message to congress gentlemen of tho the congress since J last had tho the privilege or of addressing you on the state of the union the war ot or nations on oil tho the other side bide of the sea which had then only begun to disclose its portentous proportions has extended its threatening and sinister scope until it has swept within its flamo flame some portion of every ery quarter of the globe not extracting our own hemisphere has jil toyed the whole face of international af alis fals and now presents a prospect of reorganization and reconstruction such as statesmen and peoples have never been called upon to attempt before we have stood apart studiously neutral it was our manifest duty to do to BO not only did wo we have no part or interest in the policies poll clea which seem to have brought the conflict on it was necessary it if a universal catastrophe was to be avoided that a limit should be set to the sweep of destructive war and that some part of the great family of nations should keep the processes or of peace alive it if only to prevent collective economic ruin and the breakdown throughout the world of the industries dus tries by which its populations are fed and sustained it was manifestly the duty of the self belt governed nations I 1 of 0 t this hemisphere to redress it if possible the balance of economic loss and contusion confusion in the other it if they could do nothing more in III the day of readjustment and recuperation we earnestly hope and believe that they can be of infinite service Ame american nations partners in this neutrality to which they were bidden not only by their separate life and their habitual detachment from the politics of europe but also by a clear perception of international duty the states of america have become conscious of a new and more vital community interest and moral partnership in affairs more clearly conscious of tho the many common sympathies and interests and duties which bid them thein stand together there was a time in the early days of our own great nation and of the republics fighting their way to independence pen pend dence enco in central and south america when the government of the united states looked upon itself as its in some sort the guardian of the republics to the south of her as against any en croach ments or efforts at political control from the other side of the water felt it its duty to play the part even without invitation from them and I 1 think that we can claim that the task was undertaken with a true and disinterested enthusiasm for the freedom of the americas Amerl cas and the unmolested self government of her independent peoples but it was always difficult to maintain such a role without offense to the pride of the peoples whose free dorn of action we sought aught to protect and without provoking serious misconceptions of our motives and every thoughtful man of affairs must welcome the altered circumstances of the new day in whose light we now stand when there Is no claim of guardianship or thought of wards but instead a full and honorable association as of partners between ourselves and our neighbors in the interest of all america north and south our concern tor for the independence and prosperity of the states of central and south america Is not altered we retain unabated the spirit that has inspired us throughout the whole life of our government and which was so BO frankly put into words by president we still mean always to make a common cause of national independence and of po lotical liberty in america attitude toward mexico 0 we have been put to the test in the case of mexico exico Al and we have stood the test whether wo we have benefited mexico by the course we have pursued remains to bo be seen her fortunes are in her own hands but wo we have at least proved that we will not take advantage of her in her distress and undertake to impose upon her an order and government of our own choosing we will aid ulland and befriend mexico exico lU but we will not coerce her and our course with regard to her ought tobe sufficient proof to all america that we seek no political suzerainty or selfish control the moral Is that the states of america are not lin hostile stile hivala but cooperating I 1 friends and that their growing sense of community of interest alike in matters political and in matters 0 economic Is likely to give them a now new significance as factors in international affairs and in the political history of tho the world drawing the americas Amer loaa together To sether there Is I 1 venture to point out an especial significance just now attaching to this whole matter of drawing the americas Ameri caa together in bonds of hon han I 1 tabla frable partnership and mutual vavan I 1 tago tage becquet ot ol the economic readjustments the world must inevitably witness within tho the next generation when peace shall have at last resumed sum ed its healthful ta tasks aks in the performance for mance of these tasks I 1 hellove believe the americas Amerl cas to bo be destined to play piny their parts together I 1 am interested to fix your tit attention on athla prospect now because unless you tako take it within your view and permit the full significance of it to command your thought I 1 cannot find the right light in which to be set forth the particular matter that lie lies 11 at the doiy bety front of my whole thought as I 1 address you today I 1 mean national defense no one who really comprehends the spirit of the great people for whom wo we aro are appointed to speak can call fall to perceive that their passion Is for peace their genius best beat displayed in the practice or of the arts of peace great democracies are not belligerent they do not seek or desire war their thought Is of individual liberty and of the tha free labor that supports life and the uncensored thought that quickens it conquest and dominion are not in our reckoning or agreeable to our principles but just because wo we domand demand unmolested dev development elopement elop ment and the undisturbed government ot of our own lives upon our own principles of right and liberty we resent from whatever quarter it may come the aggression gres sion wo we ourselves will not practice we insist upon security in prosecuting our self chosen lines of national development we do more than that we demand it also tor for others question of preparedness out of such thoughts grow all our policies we regard war merely as a means of asserting the rights of a people against aggression and we are as fiercely jealous of coercive or dictatorial ta tat orial tortal power within our own nation as of aggression from without we will not maintain a standing army except for uses which are as necessary in times of peace as in times of war and wo we shall always see to it that our military peace establishment is no larger than is actually and continuously needed for the uses of days in which no enemies move against us dut but we do believe in a body of tree free citizens ready and sufficient to take care of themselves and of the governments which they have set up to serve them but war has never been a more mere matter of men and guns it Is a thing of 0 disciplined might it if our citizens are ever to fight effectively upon a sudden summons they must know how modern fighting is done and what to do when the summons comes to render themselves immediately available and immediately effective and the government must bo be their servant in this matter must supply them with the training they need to take care of themselves and of it it is with these ideals in mind that tie th e plans of the depart department meni of war for more adequate national defense were conceived which will be laid before you and which I 1 urge you to sanction and put into effect as soon as they can be properly scrutinized and discussed they seem to me the essential first steps and they seem to me for the present sufficient clent larger army plan they contemplate an increase of the standing force of the regular army from its ita present strength of officers and enlisted men of all services to a strength of officers and enlisted men or all told all services rank and file by the addition of fifty two companies of coast artillery fifteen companies of engineers ten regiments of infantry tour four regiments of field artillery and tour four aero squadrons besides officers required tor for a great variety of extra service especially the all important duty of training the citizen force of which I 1 shall presently speak noncommissioned officers tor for service in drill recruiting and the like and the necessary quota of enlisted men for the quartermaster corps the hospital corps the ordnance department and other similar auxiliary services these are the additions necessary to render the army adequate for its present duties duties which it has to perform not only upon our own continental coasts and borders and at our interior army posts 1 but also in the philippines in the hawaiian islands at the isthmus and in porto rico by way of making the country ready to assort assert some part of its real power promptly and upon a larger scale should occasion arise the plan also contemplates supplementing the army by a force of disciplined citizens raised in increments of a year throughout a period of three years this it Is proposed to do by a process of enlistment under which the serviceable men of the country would be asked to bind themselves to serve with the colors tor for purpose of training for short periods throughout three years and to come to the colors at call at any time throughout an additional furlough period of three years this force of men would be provided with personal accoutrements as fast as enlisted and their equipment for or the field made ready to be supplied at any time they would he be assembled tor for training at stated intervals at convenient places in association with suitable units of the regular army their period of annual training would not necessarily exceed two months in the year at least so much by the way of preparation tor for defense seems to me to be absolutely imperative now wo cannot do less the tha naval program the program which will be laid be you by the secretary of the navy le IB similarly conceived it involves only a shortening ot of the time within which plans long matured shall be carried out but it does inako definite definite and explicit a program which has heretofore been only implicit goldlin held in tho minds of the two committees on oil naval affairs and disclosed in III the debates of the two houses but nowhere formulated or formally adopted I 1 it seems to me very clear that it will be to the advantage of the country tor for the congress to adopt a comprehensive plan tor for putting tho the navy upon a final footing of strength and effi clency nad and to press that plan to completion within tho the next live yedra wo we have always looked to the navy of the country as our first and chief line of defense wo we have always seen it to be our manifest course of prudence to be strong on tho the seas year by year we have been creating a navy which now ranks very very high indeed among the navies of the mari maritime timo nations we should now definitely determine how we shall complete what we have begun and how soon the program to be laid before you contemplates t the he construction within five years of ten battleships six battle cruisers ten tell scout cruisers fifty eltty destroyers fifteen fleet submarines eighty live five coast submarines four gun boats one hospital ship two ammunition ships two fuel oil ships and one regular repair ship it ii Is proposed that of this number we shall the first farat year provide for the consi construction ruction of two battleships two battle cruisers three scout cruisers floten destroyers live fleet submarines twenty five coast submarines two gunboats gun boats and one hospital ship the second year two battleships one scout cruiser ten destroyers st four fleet subi submarines barines fifteen coast submarines one gunboat and ono one fuel oil ship the third year two battleships one battle cruiser two wo scout cruisers five destroyers two fleet submarines and fifteen coast submarines the fourth year two battleships tle ships hIps two battle cru cruisers iseri two scout cruisers ten destroyers two fleet submarines fifteen coast submarines ammunition ship and one fuel oil ship and the fifth year two battleships one battle cruiser cru laer two scout cruisers ten destroyers two fleet submarines fifteen coast submarines one gunboat one ammunition ship and one repair ship more men for the navy the secretary of the navy Is asking also for the immediate addition to the personnel of the navy of sailors 1200 apprentice seamen and 1500 marines this increase would be sufficient suBI clent to care for the ships which are to be completed within the fiscal year 1917 and also tor for the number or of men which must bo be put in training to man the ships which will be completed early in 1918 it is also necessary that the number of men at the naval academy at annap oils should be increased by at least three hundred it if this full program shou should d be carried out we should have built or building in 1921 according to the estimates or of survival and standards of classification follow followed bd by y the general board of the department fin an effective navy consisting of 27 bittles battleships alps of the first firk line 6 battle cruisers 25 battleships of the second line 10 armored cruisers 13 scout cruisers 5 first class cruisers 3 second class cruisers 10 third class cruisers destroyers 18 fleet submarines coast submarines 6 monitors 20 gunboats gun boats 4 supply ships 15 fuel ships 4 transports 3 tenders to torpedo vessels 8 vessels of special types and 2 immune ammunition ships this would ba Q a navy fitted to our needs and worthy of our traditions but armies and instruments of war are only part of what has to be considered it we are to consider the supreme matter of national self sufficiency and security in all its aspects there are other great matters which will be thrust upon our attention whether wo we will or not there Is for example a very pressing question of trade and shipping involved in this great problem ot of national adequacy it la is necessary for many weighty reasons of national efficiency and development that we should have a great merchant marine it Is high time wo we repaired our mistake and resumed our commercial independence pen dence on the seas need of merchant marine for it Is a question of independence it if other nations go to war or seek to hamper each others commerce our merchants it seems are at their mercy to do with as they please we must use their ships and use them as they determine we have not ships enough of our own we cannot handle our own commerce on the seas our independence Is provincial and Is only on land and within our own borders we are arc not likely to bo be permitted to use oven even the ships I 1 I 1 of other nations in rivalry of their own trade and aro are without moans mentis to extend our commerce oven even where the doors anre wide open and our goods desired such a situation la Is not to bo be endured it la 18 of capital importance not only that tho the united states should bo be lt its own carrier on oil the seas and enjoy the economic independence which only on an adequate merchant marine would give it but also that the american hemisphere as a whole should enjoy a like independence and sufficiency self if it la Is not to bo be drawn into tho the tangle of |