Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-08-19
WARNS AGAINST
TOO MUCH TALK
President Enjoins People
to Refrain From Taking
Sides in War
DUTY ONE OF PEACE
Unless United States Assumes Partial
Attitude, Says President, Ii May
BE Unable TO Speak For
Peace.


at war have taken sides in pubic
discussions in the United States OF
the European war. This feeling is
understood to have prompted the IS
suance of his statement today, warn
ing citizens of the United states
against that deepest, most subtle,
most essential breach of neu1rahty
which may spring out of partlsaashlp,
out of passionately taking SIDES.
The presidents statement follows:
"My fellow countrymen-I suppose
that every thoughtful man in Amer
lea has asked himself during the last
troubled weeks what Influence ,ne
European war may exert upon the
United States, aad | take the liberty
of addressing few words to you III
order to point out that it is entirely
within our choice what is effects up
on us will be, and to urge very earn
estly upon you the sort OF speech ana
conduct which will best safeguard
the nation against distress and dis
aster.
'The effect of the war upon the
United States will depend upon what
American citizens say and do. Every
man who really loves America Will
act and speak in the true spirit OF
neutrality, which is the spirit of I'M
pariality and fairness and friendll-
ness to all concerned. The spirit OF
the nation in this critical matter will
be determined largely by what fndl-
yiduals and society and those gather
ed in public meetings do and say,
upon what newspapers and magazines
contain, upon what our ministers ut
ter in their pulpits and men proclaim
as their opinions on the streets.
1.-THE people of the United States
are drawn from many nations, and
chiefly from the nations now at war.
1t is natural and inevitable that there
should be the utmost variety of SYM
pathy and desire among them with
regard to the issues and circum.
stances of the conflict Some will
wish one nation, others another, to
succeed in the momentous struggle.
Difficult to Allay Passion.
at will be easy to excite passion
and difficult to allay it. Those re-
sponsible for exciting it will assume
a heavy responsibility; responsibility
for no less thing than that the peo-
pie of the United States. whose love
of their country and whose loyalty to
it's government, should unite them as
Americans. all bound IN honor and
affection, to think first of her and
her interests, and not divided into
camps of hostile opinions hot against
each other, involved in the war itself
in impulse and opinion. # not in
action.
"Such diversions amongst us would
be fatal to our peace of mind, and
might seriously stand in the way OF
the proper performances of our duty
as the one great nation at peace. the
one people holding itself ready to
play a part of impartial mediation
and speak the counsels of peace and
accommodation not as partisan but
as friend.
II venture, therefore, my fellow
countrymea, to speak a solemn word
of warning to you against that deep
est, most subtle. most essential
breach of neutrality, which may
spring out of partisanship, out of pas
sionatefy taking sides. The United
States must be neutral in fact as wed
as in name during these days thai
are to try mems souls. We must be
impartial in thought as we'll as il
action, must put a curb upon our sen
timents as we'll as upon every tran
iCL. n
preference of one party to the strug
gle or another.
Thinks Only OF America.
my thought is American: I an
| speaking, | feel sure, the earnes
wish and purpose of every thought
| full American, that this great coun
try OF ours, which is of course til
first in our thoughts and in on
hearts, should show herself in ,n1
You'd others, TO exhibit the fine pos
of undsturbed judgment, the disnit
of self-control, the efficiency of dis
passionate action; a nation that neirf
er sits in Judgment upon others, nc
is disturbed in her own counsels an
which keeps herselfifit and free to d
what is honest and disinterested an
truly serviceable for the peace of tn
world
shall we not resolve to put upo
ourselves the restraint which wi
bring to our people the happines
and the great and lasting influeao
for peace we covet for them?"
Prior TO the issuance of the stat,
ment, officials close to the presidel
made it appear that Mr.. Wilson We
fully determined to take no part
the dispute between Japan and &c
many over the situation in the f;
East While the Germany-Japi
question was not referred to in Il
statement, it became known that Il
president regarded with disfavor e
forts he believed were being made
embroil the United States in the co
troyersy in the Far East or in E
) rope.