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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1915)
THURSDAY. IHXEMI.LIl 9. 1.m.1. PLATTSMOUTII SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL. PAGE S. l llLUfU Naticna, Preparedness Main Theme of Head cf Nation. Submits Definite Plan to In crease Present Standing Perce of Regulars ar.d For Four Hun dred Thousand Citizen Soldiers Raised In Increments cf One Hundred and Thirty-three Thousand. OLLOWINt; i the message of Pre.-i lent U il i-pu delivered at a joint session of tin.1 senate and hi. at tin- beginning or tlit; fc'it V-fn".jrt h COUgTeSS: Gent iel!:' t.f the t'omrrc:: Since I last hud the privilege of a.Idrcsstu vea on Hit; state of the Union t he war if nations t:i the other side of the m'U. whi -h had then icily be::an t disclose its ;.rteu!ous pr .pori i. .as. 1.;-; extend td its threatening and sinister scope tint il it has swept within i.s f'auie S"l.;e portion of oory quarter of the globe. iMt tt ; 'tiii,: our own hemi l h. re. bas altered the wh...c face of international affairs, and now .resent a j r-s;. i-ct i.f rt organization aid re construction such as smic-ni'n and Ic pics huo never U-eii called upon to attempt before. The president telis how this country i : a- tice-d neutrality unl declares that he h ;cs tn.tt vv hen the time e"iaes for readjustment and recuperatl :i this Country v. ill he if infinite service. Ke ferrinu t.j Central and South At-s-ri--:i:i jirol.i.-tiis. the president declares that V'u should retain unabated the spirit wl.i h has inspired us throughout the whole life of oar government tad wl.Uh was s.f frankly put into words by president Monroe. We have been pt:t to tlie test in the case cf Mexi'-o, and we have stood the test. Whether we have benefited Mex ico l"y tlie course we have j-ursned re aralns to he scon. Her furtt.U's are hi tier .wu hands. Put: we have at lea.-:: proved thrit v.e wil! n-t take advan tage of her in her distress and undertake- to impose u;..:i her an order nnd got ernmt i t of c-r.r own choosimr. I.pt erry is o':t:i a fjo.'-o and li.:ra!.; Me tldtii. to which no !';;;. is e::n le set end t- which ijo '."utn".s of a few laen's ei.Mii;:ir onirlit t- i r to ! e set. liery Aiiu in an who has urnnU a; the true fui::;t:.i:;s :.' p;i:i- iple and tra ditiou uiust Mi!'cii'.-e without r'sirva- tn to the .i-h tl.-ctr!:ie the Vir ginia till of riuht-. which in the .ureal days in wi.ich oi.r .ivt-rnutiit was M.-t up ws everywhere a:aoi. us acept ed as the tried of free men. That doc trine is. "Th:it -overnuiei.t is or ou'ht to he instituted for the co:li in h, ne Ct. protecihia and secuiiry of the j't o jIe, ii.ition or cof.inunity;" tlct "cf lili the various n.'oclts and f-Tins of p. er:;i..eni.. that is the hest whi'-h is cnpal le of produeit.c the preate.-t tfree of hnpl'iness and safety a: 1 is ijost tCe ; u. illy m eure.l ituainst the thinner of malad::::nijiratioa, :;:i 1 that v.'hea any overiiient shad 1 e found inadeq-jate or contrary to the.-e pur pvses u i::::.i"riry of the coirn.iunity hath cu induhitahle. indieiia'oie and in.lefeasil.1e riht io reform, liiter or a polish it in such manner as shah lit; jn-d-'.-d most conducive to the puhdc weal." We have unhesitatingly '.. plied that heroic principle t: the case t.f Mexi-o and now hopefn'.iy .-.v.ait the rehirth of the troubled repuhlie. which had ko much tf which to pnru-e itself nnd so little sympathy from any outside quarter in the radical hut re--esary pro'-ess. We will aid and l e friend Mexico, hat we will not coerce her. and our course with regard :; her uti-'ht t lc suilicient pr t to all Amer ica that we seek no political suzerainty er selfish control. PAN-AMERICANISM HA3 NONE OF EMPIRE'S SPIRIT. Economic Adjustments Inevitable With in the Next Generation. The moral is that the states of Amer ica are not hostile rivals, but co-oi-irating friends, a. id that, their grow ing sense of community of interest, 1 alike in matters ioh;i al and in mat teis economic, is hio H- to gKe them a new siunih'-ance as factors in interna tional affairs and in the political his lory of the world. It presents them in in a very deep and true sense a im't in world affairs, spiritual partners, stitndiog together because thinking tt ;:.!! her. qui', k with common sympathies and common ideals. Separated, they are subject to :;!! the cross currents of the contused politics of a world of I103 F ie rivalries: united in spirit and pur p .-e. th'-y cannot be disappointed of tin ir peaceful destiny. Tiiis 1 pan-Americanism. It has none of the spirit of empire in it. It Is the embodiment, the 1 ffectual embodiment. ;f th spirit of law r-t'd Independence :ind lioerty 11 ml mutual st rvice. The president calls attention to thr :u:vlrig in Washington recently of : 1 j.' . . entntives of the pan-American : . . nlics and says that economic ad ; is n.et.t Is Inevitable in the next geu- lio -. r who really comprehends the "..t tl.:; great pttnle for whom we - : r roo med to siteak can fail to per . ' . iL.-t thrir passion is for pen?c. r l:t displayed in the prac- e .-. .i r- aris c? per-ee. OrTt iVmoe- fire isnt bo'.5!gC rent. Thv do not j L " ILSON'S i ' $ i o V x X', 'V- ri'oto ty American Frcss Association. PRESIDENT WILSON'S LATEST PICTURE. (From snapshot taken on Nov. 26.) of individual lilftty and of the free hii.or that supports life and the un censored thoii-ht that quickens it t'on.iuest and dominion are not in our re.. k niu it nreeaMe to our priiu-i ph-s. I'.ut just heeause wo demand un molested development and the undis turiied s-'vernment tif our own lives upon our own principles of rittht and li'.erty, we resent, from whatever quarter it tuay come, the aggression we ourselves will not practice. We insist upon security in prosecuting our pelf chosen lines of national development. We th more than that. We demand it also for others. We do not conhue our enthusiasm for individual lilterty anil free national development to the inci d ::Ts and movements of affairs which affect only ourselves. We feel it wher ever there is a people that tries to walk in these difficult pat lis of independence and richt. Trom the first we liave made emmon cause with all partisans of illN'rt;- on this side the Pea and have deemed it as important that our neigh Urs should le free from all outside domination as that we ourselves should he; have s-ct America aside as a whole for the us"s of lndeiendent nations and political freemen. Out of such thoughts grow all our 1' licit s. We regard war merely as a means of asserting the rights of a pe- ie aua;i:.-t aggression. And we are :.s herireiy Jcnk.us of coercive or dicta torial p v. t r within our own nation ; s of ncgus-ion from without. We will not maintain a standing army ex ec; t for uses which are as necessary in times of ieaee as in times of war. SUGGESTS BROAD PLAN FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE. Increase Standing Ren ular Force Four Hundred Thousand Cil:zen Soldiers. I'.ut war has iiever be a a mere mat ter of men and guns. It is a thing tf disciplined might. If our citizens are ever to tight effectively upon a sullen summons, they must know how modern bunting is done, and what to do v. hen the summons comes to tender themselves immediately avail able and immediately effective. And the government must be their servant in this matter, must supply them with the training they need to take care of themselves and of it The military arm of their government, which they will not allow to direct them, they may properly use to serve them and make their indei'citdence secure, and not their own independence merely, but the lights also of those with whom lli- y have made common cause, should they al.-o be put in jeopardy. They must be fitted to play the great role in the world. aDd particularly in this hemisphere, for which they are quali fied by principle and by chastened am biti'iu to play. It is with these ideals in mind that the plans of the department of war for more adequate national defense were conceived whr h will be laid before you. and which I urge you to sanction and put into effect as soon as they can te properly scrutinized and discussed They seem to me the essential first steps, and they seem to me for the present sufficient. They contemplate an increase of the standing force of the regular army from its present strength of r,023 olli cers and 10'MS5 enlisted men of all services to a strength of T.lT.iJ officers and I" I.70" enlisted men. or 1-U,S1.'5 all told, all services, rank and file, by the addition of fifty-two companies of coast artillery, fifteen companies of en gineers, ten regiments of infantry, four regimelits of field artillery and four nero squadrons, besides 7.V) officers re quired for a great variety of extra service, especially the all important duty of training the citizen force of wlii' li I shall presently speak. 71)2 non commissioned officers for service in drill, recruiting and the like and the necessary quota of enlisted men for the .pirrtermas-ter corps, the hospital corps, tbo ordnance department and other similar auxiliary services. These MESSAGE Declares That if Full Navy Pro gram Is Carried Out We Will Have a Fleet For Defense That Will Be "Fitted to Our Needs and Worthy of Our Traditions." Greatest Danger to Country Comes From Within Our Bor ders. are the additions necessary to render the army adequate for its present du ties, duties which it has to perform not only upon our own continental coasts and borders and at our interior army posts, but also in the I'hihppines. In the riawaiian Islands, at the isth mus and in Porto Kico. ry way of making the country ready to assert some part of its real power promptly and upon a larger scale bhould occasion arise the plan ulsJ contemplates supplementing the army by a force of 4oX,OX) disciplined citi zens, raised in increments of KUhOOO 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 l.e asked to bind themselves to serve with the colors for purposes of train ing for short periods throughout three years and to come to the colors at cull at any time throughout an additional "furlough" period of three years. This force of 4U0.0UO men would be pro vided with xersoual accouterments as fast as enlisted and their equipment for the field made ready to be supplied at r.ny time. They would be assem bled for training at stated intervals at convenient places in association with suitable units of the regular army. Their r-erlod of annual training would not necessarily exceed two months in i the year. The president says it is up to the patriotic young men of the country to respond to this call. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR GREATER NAVY. Always Looked to It as Our First and Chief Line of Defense. The program which will le laid le fore tou by the secretary of the navy j is similarly conceived. It Involves only j a shortening of the time within which plans long matured eha'.l le carneu out, but it des make definite and ex plicit a program which lias heretofore been only Implicit, held in the minds of the committees on naval afTatrs and disclosed in the debates of the two houses, but nowhere formulated or for mally adopted. It seems to me very clear that it will lie to the advantage of the country for the congress to adopt a comprehensive plan for putting the navy upon a final footing of strength and efficiency and to press that plan to completion within the next five years. We have always looked to the naw of the country as our first and j chief line of defense; we have always eeen it to Ite our manifest course of prudence to be strong on the seas. Year by year we have been creating a navy which now ranks very high in deed among the navies of the maritimt nations. We should now definitely de tennine how we shall complete what we have begun and how soon. The program to be laid before yoe contemplates the construction within five years of ten battleships, six battle cruisers, ten 6cout cruisers, fifty de stroyers, fifteen fleet submarines, eighty-five coast submarines, four gun boats, one hospital ship, two ammuni tlon ships, two fuel oil ships and one repair ship. It is proposed that of this number we shall the first year provide for the construction of two battleships, two battle cruisers, three scout cruisers, fifteen destroyers, five fleet submarines, twenty -five coast submarines, two gun loats and one hospital ship; the second year two battleship, one scout cruiser, ten destroyers, four fleet submarines, fifteen coast submarines, one guuloat and one fuel oil ship; the third year two battleships, one battle cruiser, two scout cruisers, five destroyers, two fleet submarines and fifteen coast subma rines; the fourth year two battleships, two battle cruisers, two scout cruisers, ten destroyers, two fleet submarines, fifteen coast submarines, one ammuni tion ship and one fuel oil ship, and the fifth year two battleships, one bat tie cruiser, two scout cruisers, ten de stroyers, two fleet submarines, fifteen coast submarines, one gunboat, one am munition ship and one repair ship. The secretary of the navy is asking also for the immediate addition to the personnel of the navy of 7,r.00 sailors. 2.500 apprentice seamen and l.WK) ma rines. Tills increase would be sufll cient to care for the ships which are to be completed within the fiscal year 11)17 and also for the number of men which must lx put in training to man the ships which will be completed early in 101S. It is also necessary that the number of midshipmen at the Na val academy at Annapolis should be increased by at least 300 in order that the force of officers should le more rapidly added to, and authority is ask ed to appoint, for engineering duties only, approved graduates of engineer ing colleges, and for service in the avi ation corps a certain number of men taken from civil life. If this full program should be carried ret wo should have built or building in 1021, according to the estimates of sur vived and standards of classification followed by the general board of the department, an eflective navy consist ing of 27 battleships of the first line. 0 battle cruisers, 25 battleships of the S'jcoud line, 10 armored cruisers. 13 scout cruisers, first class cruisers. 3 second class cruisers, 10 third class cruisers, loS destroyers, IS fieet sub marines, lo7 coast submarines, G mon itors, 20 prmhoats, 4 supply ships. 13 fuel ships, 4 transports, 3 tenders to torpedo vessels, S vessels of special types and two ammunition ships. This would te a navy fitted to our needs and worthy of our traditions. Hut armies and instruments of war are only part of what has to be c :e sidered if we are to consider the su preme matter of national self suliieieu cy and security in all its aspects. There are other great matters whi -h will be thrust upon our attention whether we will or not. There is. l.r example, a very pressing iuestion of trade and shipping involved in tl is great problem of national adequacy, it is necessary for many weighty rt.i sons of national efficiency and devel opment that we should have a great merchant murine. The great mer hant fleet we once used to make us ri !:, that great body of sturdy sailors v 'iu used to carry 0.11 r flag into every s a. and who were the pride and often the bulwark of the nation, we have nine -s; driven out of existence by inexeus.-.V-le neglect and indifference and by a hope lessly blind and provincial policy of so called economic protection. Jt is hiirh time we repaired our mistaLe and resumed our commercial independence on the seas. With a view to meetinr those press ing necessities of our commerce and availing ourselves at the earliest possi ble moment of the present unparn!!. led opportunity of linking the two Ameri cas together in bonds of mutual inter est and service, un opportunity which may never return attain if we miss i; now, proposals will be made to the present congress for the purchase or construction of ships to be owned r. nd directed by the government similar to those made to the last congress, 1 u; modified in some essential particulars 1 recommend these proposals to ou for your prompt acceptance with the! more confidence because every month that lias elapsed since the former pro posais were made has male the re cessity for such action more and more manifestly imperative. That need v. a then foreseen. It is now acutely f .!; and everywhere realized by those tot whom trade is waiting, but who can find no conveyance for their goo is. J am not so much interested in the par tleulars of the program as I am in taking immediate advantage of the great opportunity which awaits us if we will but act in this emergency. I: this matter, as in all others, a spirit of common counsel should prevail, ant' out of it should come an early so.u tion of this pressing problem. SHOULD AGREE ON POLICY IN THE PHILIPPINES. Recommends Early Adoption of treas ures Giving Them Fuller Justice. The president recommends the eaily adoption of bills for the alteration t::id reform of the government of the Phil ippines and for rendering fuller p.dit ical Justi'-e to the people of Porto Pico, which were submitted to the Sixty third congress. The president reft is to the increased cost of carrying out the plans for the armed forces of t lu nation and tells of the fiscal problems confronting the government. On the 30th of June last there was an available balance in the general fund of the treasury of $104.170.icr.7s The total estimated receipts for the year 1D1G, on the assumption that the emergency revenue measure passed by the last congress will not be extended beyond Its present limit, the 31st of Ieeember, lOlo, and that the present duty of 1 cent per iound en sugar will le discontinued utter the 1st of May. UtlG. w 111 be $;70,3r,rR0. The balance of June last and these estimated rev enues come therefore to a grand total f f774.KJTi.GOrf.7S. The total estimated disbursements for the present fiscal year, including twenty-five million for the Panama canal, twelve millions for probable deficiency appropriations and toO.OuO for miscellaneous debt rodomj tions, will be J?7KJ.K:H,0tM. and the bul ance in the general fund of the treas ury will be reduced to 20.04 i.OOTt.7 The emergency revenue net if contin ued beyond its present time limitation would produce during the half year then remaining about forty-one mil lions. The duty of 1 cent per pound on sugar if continued would produce during the two months of the fiscal year remaining after the 1st t.f May about fifteen millions. These two sums, amounting together to fifty-six mil lions, if added to the revenues tf the .second half of the fiscal year would yield the treasury at the end of the year an available balance of '7'J.G:i (0.".7S. The additional revenues rerjuircd to carry out the program of military and naval preparation of which I have spoken would, sis nt present estimated be for the fiscal year PH7 ?!::.soo.Os0 Those figures, taken with the figures for the present fiscal year which I have nlrcfdy given, disclose our finan cial problem for the year 1017. As sumh'g that the taxes i:ipostd by the emergency revenue net and the ores 1 ent dutv on sugar are t lw diseontin j tied and that the balance at the c!os.- J of tlit. i.reset.t fiscal vc::r tvi'l 1. ni; S20.GM.qn..7S. that the disbursement for the Panama canal vi!i again bt about f2Tt.fffto.oao rnd that the ad. II tlonal expenditures for the tirmv and navy are authorized by th ctngr-s the deficit In the general fund of tie treasury on the ."Ofh of .Tutio. TTM7 will be nearly 2Ttr..XK OOO. To ih.s sum at Ieir PoO.ecrt.ooo sh-rjlrl be mid ed to repi Mr:t a stfo working Iftlanee for the trpasnry and f 12.00: .0t.rl to in J elude the usual deficiency estimates in 1017, and these additions wouid make a total deficit of some S207, 100,000. If the present taxes should be continued throughout this year and the next, however, there wouid be a balance in the treasury of s.me ...). .o; the end of the present fiscal year and ' a deficit ::t the end of the next jcur of ; only some $u0,0iX.l0o. or, reckoning in I u"2, iCO.ijt .0 for deficiency appropria tions and a safe treasury balance at j the end of the year, a total deh It of ! some $1 12.i.o;.kjo. The obvious moral ! uf the fiirurts is that it is a plain coun i stl of prudence to continue all of the . present taxes or their etjuivalents ai. 1 confine ourselves to the proMei 1 of providing S 1 1 2.000 . to of new revenue . rather than S-"2h7ii)O.Ooo. How shall we obtain the new rev enue? We are frequentlj reminded that there are many millions of bonds which the treasury is auth"rir.cd under existing law to sell to reimburse the sums j aid out of current revenues for the construction of the Panama canal, and it is true that bonds for the amount of 222.-b':2." ') are now ava'l ab!e for that purpose. Prior to i:;i3 .S13 iiO.Ooo of these bonds had ac tually been sold to recoup I he txpt-ndi tures at the isthmus, nud now e.n stituie a considerable item of the pub lie debt. Put I for one do not believe that the people of this country approve of postponing the payment of their bills. I'.orrowing money i.4 short si-.:ht ed finance, it can be justified on!;, when permanent things are to be in cornpiished which many generations will certainly ' enefit by ami v. hi-h It seems hardly fair that a single genera tion should pay for. The object we are now proposing to spend momy foi cannot be so classified, except in the sense that everything wisely done iimj be said to be tb-ne in the interest of posterity as well as in our own. It seems to me a clear dictate of pro dent staiesmanship and frank tinancf. that in what v.e are now, I hope, about to undertake we should pay as we ; The people of the country are en::ll"! to know just what burdens r.f taxation i tl.ey are to carry : :n -.1 to know fr- !.i the U!:".( The new bills should be paid by internal taxation. NATION'S SECRET FOES SHOULD DE CRUSHED. Gravest Danger to Country Comes From Within Our Own Borders. The president says that the precise reckonings of the problem to be met are set forth in the report of the seere tnry of the treasury. I have spoken to you today, gentlo men. upon a single theme, the thor ough preparation of the nation to cart for its own security and to make sure of entire freedom to play the in. par tkd roi? in this hemisphere and in thc world which v.e all believe to have been providentially assigned t iu I have had in my mind no thought of any immediate or particular dange; arising cut of our relations with other nations. We are at peace witli all tie nations t f the world, and there is rea sou to hope that no question in con troversy between this and other gov ernrnents will lead to any serious breach of amicable relations, grave a some differences of attitude and policy have been and may yet turn out to be I am surry to say that the gravest threats against our national peace and saftty hf.vc been uttered within out own lwirders. There are citizens of Un united States. I blush to admit. Iforn under other flags, but welcomed under our generous naturalization laws to th? full freedom and opportunity of Amer ica, who have puured the iioison of dis loyalty into the very arteries of our national life, who have sought to bring the authority and good name t.f our government into contempt, to destroy our Industries wherever they thought it efiective for their vindictive pur poses to strike at them and to debase our politics to the uses of foreign iu trigue. Their number is not great as compared with the whole number of those sturdy hosts by which our na tion has been enriched in recent gen orations out of virile foreign stocks, but it is great enough to have brought deep disgrace upon us and to have made it necessary that we should promptly make use of processes of law by which we may be purged of theii corrupt distemiers. America never witnessed anything like this before. It never dreamed it possible that men sworn into its own citizenship, men drawn out of great free stocks such as supplied some cf the best and strongest elements of tlnif little, but how heroic, nation that in a high day of old staked its very life to free itself from every entanglement that had darkened the fortunes of the older nations and set up a new stand ard here that men of such origins and such free choices of allegiance would ever turn in malign reaction against the poverainci.it nnd people who bad welcomed and nurtured them and seek to make this proud country once more a hotbed of European passion. A lit tle wdiile ago such a thing would have seemed incredible. Pecause it was in credible we made no preparation for it. We would have been almost ashamed to prepare for ft. as if we were suspicious of onrselves. our own comrades and neighbors! lint the ugly amt i"creainie mmg uas nciuuny come about, nnd we are without adequate federal laws to deal with it. I urge you to enact such laws at the earliest possible moment and feel that in doing so I am urging you to do notiiing less than save the h nor nnd self respect of the nation. Such creatures of pas sion, disloyalty rnd anarchy must bo crushed out. They are not many, but thr-y are infinitely malignant, and the hand of our power should close ovnt them at once. They have formed r' 'fs to destroy property, they have entered Into conspiracies against the neutrality of tho government, they have sought to pry into every confidential trans action of the government in order to serve Interests alien to our own. It is possible to deal with these things very effectually. I need not suggest the terms in which they may be dealt with. I wish that it could be said that otdy a few men, misled by mistaken senti ments of allegiance to the governments under which they were born, had been guilty of disturbing the self possession and misrepresenting the temper and principles of the country during these days of terrible war. when it would s em that every man who was truly an American would instinctively make it his duty and his pride to keep the s ales of Judgment even anil prove him S' lf a partisan of no nation but his o.vii. I'.ut it cannot. There are some men among us and many resident abroad who, though born and bred in the United States and calling them selves Americans, have so forgot teu themselves and their honor as citizens as to put their passionate sympathy with one or the other side iu the great Uuropean conflict alove their regard for tht! pence and dignity of the United States. They also preach and practice disloyalty. No laws. I suppose, can reach corruptions of the mind and heart, but I bhould not speak of others without alstf speaking of these and ex pressing the even deeper humiliation and scorn which every self passes-sod and thoughtfully patriotic American must feel when he thinks of them and of the discredit tht y are daily bringing upon us. What Is more Important is that the industries und resources of the country should be available and ready lor mobilization. It i.s the more impera tively necessary, therefore, that we shouid promptly devise means for do ing what we have not jet done that we should give intelligent lederal aid arid stimulation to industrial and voca tional education, as we have long done in the large field of our agricultural industry; that at the same time that v.e safeguard and conserve the natural resources cf the country we should put them at the disposal of those who will use them promptly and intel.i gently. as was sought to be done in the admirable bids submitted to the last congress from its committees on the public lands, bills which I earnest ly recommend in principle to your con sideration; that we should put into early operation some provision for rural credits which will add to the ex tensive borrowing facilities already afforded the farmer by the reserve bank act adequate instrumentalities by which long credits may be obtained on land mortgages and that we should study ni"re carefully than they have hitherto been studied the right adapta tion of our economic arrangements to changing conditions. Many conditions about which we have repeatedly legislated are beirs altered from decade to decade, it is evident, under our very eyes and are likeiy to change even more rapidly and more radically in the days imme diately ahead of r.s when peace has returned to the world and the nations of Europe once more take up their tasks of commerce and industry with the energy of those who must bestir themselves to build anew. REGULATIONS TO MEET RAILROAD PROBLEM. Needed to Make Lines More Useful Servants of Country. In the meantime may I make this suggestion? The transportation prob lem is an exceedingly serious and pressing one in thbj country. There has from time to time of late been rea son to fear that our railroads would not much longer be able to cope with it successfully, as at present equipped and co-ordinated. I suggest that it would be wise to provide for a com mission of inquiry to ascertain by a thorough canvass of the whole ques tion, whether our laws, as at present framed and administered are as serv iceable as they might be in the solu tion of the problem. It is obviously a problem that lies at the very foun dation of our efficiency as a people. Such an inquiry ought to draw cut every circumstance and opinion worth considering, and we need to know all sides of the matter if we mean tt: do anything in the field of federal leg islation. No one, I am sure, would wish to take any backward step. The regula tion of the railways of the country by federal commission has had admirable results and has fully Justified the hopes and expectations tif those by whom the policy of regulation was; originally proposed. The question 1;; not. What should we undo? It is whether there is anything else we can do that would supply us with effective means, in the very process of regu 1st km, for bettering the conditions un der which the railroads are operated and for making them more useful serv ants of the country as a whole. It seems to me that it might lie the pflfl of wisdom, therefore, before further legislation in this field is attempted, to look at the whole irobleni of co-ordination and efficiency in the full light of a fresh assessment of circumstance and opinion, as a guide to dealing with the several parts of it. For what we are seeking now. what In my mind Is the single thought of this message, is national efficiency and security. We serve a great nation. We rhould serve it in the spirit of its peruliar genius. It is the genius of common men for self government, in dustry, justice, liberty and peace. Wc should see to it that It lacks no in strument, no facility or vigor of law, to make it sufficient to play its part with energy, safety and assured suc cess. In this we are no partisans but heralds and prophets of a re v t ge. Local News From Tuesday's In!l. Lufe Scott of Pacific Junction was in the city today for a short time look ing after his business interests. F. J. Ilcnnings and wife wen in the city this morning, motorinr iu to loot, after some matters of bu..-inc;s with the merchants. J. II. Last he, the road overset r of Eight Mile drove, was in the city to day looking after some matters wi:h the county commissioners;. County Commissioners C. I'.. Hti ner of Nehawka, and Henry Snoi-.i f Lagie were here today attcndir.- t. meeting of the county board. Julius Pcppcrberg came clown '1 , ; mo: ring from his home at Lincolt vi.il with old fiienda and look afi r the interests of his cigar busine. ('. II. Vall:ry came in thi moi :;: g from his farm home southwest o' t i . city and spent a few hours here It ing after .some trading with the r -charts. Mrs-. William Prep.-t was an. tiio. c- going to Omaha this nfiej o where she will visit for the day o : friends and look after some matt. : f husines; . James Hoover of I.oui.-ville amt rig the vi-itoi from out -county in the city today for hours, cornii;r down on No. -I ! . morning. I- red Ciaik, the Union ; oa 1 .. -seer, was in the city today for a . I f time attend n-r the meet ing of '" board of county cimmis-ioner :i 1 talking over the road que -.tion v i i them. Carl Pa p a and w,fo of Union . Oklahoma, who huvi been lit re . pc -ing a few days wi'h ie!;;tii '. friend.-, tienaj Led this :.!'; ; : o..;i Omaha, fron where tiny v. ill :. : over the Ke:-k I.-Ia:iJ to their home. -Mrs. K. O. Pitman mid .Mr-. A. I. Schafer cf Murray were in tic- me tropolis yesterday for the day. n tir-.-ing to this city on No. 2, where they ve-e met by Mr. Pitman :. d M-. Schafer and taken ly au'.o to their homes. Mrs. Jo? Wales arid Mrs. Cyril Kulina. who have been here visiting with telatives ar.d friends for tl..- p.e.t few days, departed this mon.i: g f- r Crete, where they will make tluir heme for the- present, whir-.' Mr. Wale? and Mr. Kalir.a are locate- i with their roller skating rink. Frcm Wednesdav's rally. R. E. Fester of Union moU-ied to this city last evening and attend.-! "Henpecked Henry" at the Parmtie theater. James Miller, the Nt-haui.j con tractor, wt.s in the city la t t ven!' : art! today Iookii g after .some r.atti-rs at the cou,-t hou-e. S. C. Doyies of .Vivo a h ;i today for a short time looking aft;-- son matters at the court house aid culling on his many friend.--. Henry !lir:c drove in thi.. nc-vr;- fcom his farm home to fpend a few hours looking after some matters if business with the inert hunts. II. C. Creamer of Mm ray wn- in the city yesterday and la t cver.mr at tending tre- niet ting of the coun'y commissioners and vi. iting w ith h. . friends. S. O. Pitman drove up thi. mo:--irg from hi. home nt Mutray ! departed on the early Ilm lit.gton ti; on for On. aha, where he .spent a ft v hours. Mrs. F. S. White anive.l hi f t -ning from her home at I.i:.. "in a ! will vi.-it lice for a time at tl In . of Mrs. II. K. Livingston and fan ar.d with her many fiicn i. in the 1 home. W illiam Kiec and wife and da' -ter, Mi.-j Iksthcr, of near Mm v, were here today for a f t w hou" ing after some trading ati.l vi. i with frier ds. William Coolcdge and wife f Ilo.saile. Neb., were here today to . t tentl the funeral of Mrs. iM.lt,-. mother, Mrs. Wa. hintgon SiniLh, turning home this afternoon. Len Ikiknian came up thi.. ai. ' noon from his farm home and dvp.i t ed on the F.urlington for Oin:.' a, where he will vi.-it his daughter : .d family for a short time iu that it y. Mrs. W. II. Miller of Lo., Ange! California, arrived thi.: rnoi ning on No. 4 am; will enjoy a vi.-it. here w, h her old friends. She is a gue t at t ie home of Mr. and Mis. T. M. Patt r son while in this city. George A. KaiTenherger and daugh ter, Miss Golda, were among tho.-o going to Omaha this morning, v, hi re. they will visiit at the Immanuel hos pital with their daughter it d si.-n r. Mrs. Kaffenberger lias been staying t.t Omaha since the operation upon Ml.-s Gladys. Mr. and Mrs. William Kt . y tiro-, e from their farm home, this side of Manley, to this city this morning to attend to some business matteis. While here Mr. Kelly called at this of Fee and renewed the rub.-cr. prion tf the paper poinjr to his. fV.her, Jehu Kelly, at Mauley.