South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-12
TAFT URGES ALL
TO BACK WILSON
Ex-PreSident in Wonderful Ad-
dress Pleads For Caution
and CaImneSS and Support
Of President in Crisis.

PHILADELPHIA. May 12.-For-
msr Priest Taft IN what many who
heard him called the greatest speech
lie has ever made tonight in the
Union league house on the occasion
or the 5Oth anniversary Of its opening
gave his idea OF what American action
should be ia the crisis that has arisen
because Of events abroad
DeliberatiOn and caImness. he eau
toned, and above all other things the
support Of Prest Wilson
He fcresees that the time may come
when the patience and pride Of the
American people may be strained 20
the breaking point and then. ne de-
clared, the result viii be war.
But remember" he shouted, Fit
Will be the peoples war They viii
suffer; they viii die and in all things
they Will have to pay"
Germany Not Only Foe.
IL was not war with Germany that
ne sees as the only possible way for
the United States breaking into the
great conflict He reminded his dis
tlnguished listeners that both England
and her foe have violated what this
country has understood TO be inter
rational law" but il was only Ger
many ne found occasion 70 mention
with actual suffering put upon citizens
OF the United states.
The Lusitania disaster was not
mentioned outright but the inference
was so plain that there was no mis-
understanding. and the former presi-
dent readily admitted the posi- bility
of this country becoming involved If
such occurrences were repeated to
too great a degree.
In his speech he had no time for
the pronounced jingoists.
Haste viii avail nothing" he said
IF the United States has been out
ragged the wrong does not need 10 be
avenged Immediately.
There will be time enough when
by sound elaboration the president
through the people of the whole cOun-
try. has made up his mind what
should be done"
Makes Audience Feel.
Mr.. Taft was never more in earnest.
He pictured all corners Of America
best interests and made peace seem
so fine and war so dreadful that his
peace with honor viewpoint was
dire enough to cast pail over his
audience.
I'VE are at a critical stage in our
foreign relation. growing out OF the
great European war he asserted.
THE belligerents on both sides have
announced policies with respect to the
principles and rights of neutrals that
are contrary 20 heretofore accepted
principles of international law.
Germany has not only announced,
but enforced. contrary TO the laws of
war, a policy i'm her naval warfare by
submarines and torpedOes against the
unarmed commercial ships of her
enemy that is nhuman. not only TO
the defenseless subjects of her enemy.
but the peaCeable citizens of the
United States travelling on board such
ships and entitled TO warning and
rescue before such ships are sunk.
This naturally arouses our deepest
indignation. IL was done in the face
of our protest. against the assertion
ca any such declaration. and our
declaration that we would hold Ger
many 20 the strictest accountability
for the loss OF our property or of our
lives.
Now what has been done2 Sincere
men. respondent 10 what they believe
their patriotic duty demand extreme
measures as the only method of en-
forcing that accountability.
cites Fngland's Attacks.
els war the only method of making
a nation accountable Let us look
into our own history. England con
nived at the fitting out of armed yes
sells 10 prey on our commerce, TO al
tack our navy and TO kill our sailors.
we protested and what did we do
them We held her strictly account
able in the Geneva conference. Was
not your honor as much preserved
10y this method as IL would have been
if We had declared war ."