Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-18
REQUEST AMERICANS
mot. To TAKE SIDES"
[Continued From First Pasel

biiity; responsibility for no less a
thing than that the people of the
United States whose love of their
country and whose loyalty to its gov
ernment should unite them as Ameri-
cans all, bound in honor and affections
to think first of her and her interests.
may be divided in camps of hostile
opinions, hot against each other, in
volved in the war itself in impulse and
opinion IL not in action. Such diver
sions amongst us would be fatal to
our peace of mind and might seriously
stand in the way of the proper per-
formance of our duty as the one great
nation at peace, the one people hold
ing itself ready TO piav part of i'm
partial mediation and speak the coun-
sells of peace and accommodation, not
aa a partisan, but as friend.
Issues Warning
II venture, therefore, my fellow
countrymen, to speak solemn word
OF warming To you against that deep
est, most subtle, most essential breach
or neutrality which may spring out of
partisanship. out OF passionateIy taxi
ing sides. The United States must be
neutral In fact as well as in name
during these days that are to tr. mems
souls. We must be imp rtial in
thought as well as In action, must put
curb upon our sentiments as we'll as
In action, upon every transaction that
might be construed as a preference OF
one party to the struggle before
another.
my thought is of America. I am
speaking, 1 feel sure, the earnest
wish and purpose of every thoughtful
American that this great country of
ours which is of course the first in
our thoughts and in our hearts,
should show herself in this time of
peculiar trial fit beyond others to ex-
hibit the fine poise of undisturbed
Judgment, the dignity of self control,
the efficiency of dispassonate action
a nation that neither sits in judgment
upon others nor Is disturbed in her
own counsels and which keeps her
self fit and free to do what is honest
and disinterested and truly serviceable
for the peace of the world.
Shall we not receive to put upon
ourselves the restraint which will
bring to our people the happiness and
the great and lasting influence for
peace we covet for them?"
Prior to the issuance of the state
ment, officials close to the President
made il clear that Mr.. Wilson was
fully determined to take no part in
the dispute between Japan and Ger
many over the situation in the Far
East. While the Germany-Japanese
question was not referred to in the
statement, it became known that the
President regarded with disfavor ef-
forts he believed were being made to
embroil the United States in the con-
troversy in the Far East or in Europe.
The President Is understood to be
deeply concerned because naturalized
Americans who come from countries
now at war. have taken sides in public
discussions in the United States of the
European war. on previous occasions
he has publicly spoken against what he
termed "hyphenated Americans" de-
claring that citizens of the United
States should be Americans only, not
Irish Americans, German Americans
or other classifications of the sort
This feeling is understood to have
prompted the issuance of his state
ment to-day.