pioneers pushing their way out into the wilderness. Now eighty millions of people stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Within the experience of those now within the sound of my voice, the eighty millions will have grown to two hundred millions; we shall have grown so large that the whole world outside of America will be jostling against us, and unless America is strong to defend its rights; unless America has not merely the men and the money, but the trained intelligence and the skill to defend its rights-by force if need be America will break into an hundred parts and the government which we love and under which we enjoy the blessings of freedom and of justice, will cease from the face of the earth.

It is that America shall be strong to defend the right; that she shall have not merely the latent power, but the everready school of knowledge to defend the right, that these men, my friends, are devoting their time, their means, their efforts to the service of their country, in the National Guard and the Regular Army of our country.

Nor does it mean war; it means peace, because undefended wealth but invites aggression. The house which has in its doorway the strong man armed is passed by the predatory hordes which still exist upon the face of the earth. The millennium is still far distant. Revenge and wrong still claim their own. Injustice still tyrannizes over the weak, and unless we are ready to defend our rights, our property, our homes, our honor, we go to the wall. But if we are ready, if the results of the work of this convention are wrought out to their true and natural end with the resources, the power, the sturdy people, and the immeasurable wealth of America, peace will reign, the peace that stays with the just man armed; and all this pomp and heraldry, all the trappings and the music, all the form and the ceremony, which to the thoughtless may seem to be but idle play or preparation for

sanguinary conflict, are really but engines of peace and justice, and the reign of law and righteousness.

I thank you for the kind welcome, not only for the kind welcome which you have given to me, but for the kind welcome which you have given to these gentlemen who are working for the same cause and in the same field.

THE EXPORT OF ARMS AND MUNITIONS OF

WAR TO AMERICAN COUNTRIES

ADDRESS IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 13, 1912

On March 13, 1912, Mr. Root asked unanimous consent for the consideration of a joint resolution which he introduced. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the joint resolution (S. J. Res. 89) to amend the joint resolution to prohibit the export of coal and other material used in war from any seaport of the United States, approved April 22, 1898.

The joint resolution introduced by Mr. Root was slightly amended and passed the Senate, March 13. On March 14, it was again slightly amended and passed the House, the Senate concurring in the House amendment. As approved by the President, March 14, the joint resolution reads:

I

That whenever the President shall find that in any American country conditions of domestic violence exist which are promoted by the use of arms or . munitions of war procured from the United States, and shall make proclamation thereof, it shall be unlawful to export except under such limitations and exceptions as the President shall prescribe any arms or munitions of war from any place in the United States to such country until otherwise ordered by the President or by Congress.

Sec. 2. That any shipment of material hereby declared unlawful after such a proclamation shall be punishable by fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars, or imprisonment not exceeding two years, or both. In explaining the joint resolution, Mr. Root said:

WILL explain that the joint resolution is the outcome of a conference called by the President this morning with such members of the Texas delegation in the Senate and House of Representatives and such members of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives as he could conveniently reach, for the purpose of securing the extension of his power to prevent the wholesale passing of arms and munitions of war across the Texas frontier into Mexico. At that conference, at which quite a large number of gentlemen participated, there was a general expression of opinion that we ought to take up and amend our very antiquated neutrality laws; but the suggestion was made and met with general

approval, although without any formal action, that that was a very large subject which would require long-continued consideration and discussion, affecting, as it must, all countries in the world, and all possible contingencies. It was thought, however, that the immediate situation, which is now very pressing, could be dealt with by a slight extension of the power already conferred upon the President by an existing joint resolution passed on April 22, 1898. That joint resolution is as follows:

Resolved, etc., That the President is hereby authorized, in his discretion, and with such limitations and exceptions as shall seem to him expedient, to prohibit the export of coal or other material used in war from any seaport of the United States until otherwise ordered by the President or by Congress.

The idea was to extend that joint resolution so that it would apply not only to seaports, but to exports from inland places across the border line.

The joint resolution was taken up by the Committee on Foreign Relations, was carefully considered, and, with many suggestions from different members of the committee, was perfected in such form that the Committee on Foreign Relations by unanimous vote authorized me to introduce the joint resolution in the Senate and to ask for its present consideration, with the statement that it has the approval of that committee.

The situation in Texas is such that it does not admit of delay for the purpose of the general reform of our neutrality laws, and the people of Texas are deeply interested in having this extension of power to the President made immediately.

With the extension of the application of the joint resolution from seaports to all places in the United States, the committee thought it was advisable to put some limitation upon the power which is included in the existing law, and so the power of the President to forbid the exportation of arms and