New-York tribune., 1915-03-26
mo ROCKING THE
BOAT WILSON
President Tells MethOdiSts
Churches Are StabiliZ-
ers in Crisis.
WARNS AGAINST WAR
SPIRIT INCREASING
AIarmists WHO Stir Up Public
Passion Will Get RecOil
on Own Heads.

Washington, March 25.-Full conf
dence in the great body Of calm people
of the nation who serve as "stabilizers"
when the excitable ones try to "rock
the boat" in these perilous days was
voiced tonight by President Wilson in
an address before the Baltimore Con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, in annual session here.
The President appealed to the ma
tion for support ip administering his
office, saying: "If lean speak for you,
I am POWERFUL; IL / cannot, | am
weak" He said it was possible for
people to be impartial "when a quarrel
is none of theirs" He referred to the
danger to missionaries in some foreign
lands. OF which he said he had thought
much of late.
Bishop Warren A. Gambler, Of Allan
ia, in introducing the President, de-
clared that the members of the confer
ence were behind him as patriots. Sec
retary Daniels occupied seat on the
Speakers platform during the session.
The President said in part:
81 have the feeling as | look upon
you that | have had in many other
church conferences that | am looking
in the faces of men and women VINO
are not interested in the temporary
things, but are interested in the perma-
nent things; who give very little
thought, I hope and believe, to the
things that separate us, and give
great deal of thought to the things
that unite us-things that are good Tor
the healing not only of this nation, but
for the healing Of all nations.
This is council of peace, not TO
+ rm plans of peace. for it is MOI our
privilege to form such, but TO proclaim
the single supreme plan of peace, the
Revelation of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. because wars will never
have any ending until men cease to
hate one another, cease 70 be je2lo .
of one another, and get that feeling Of
reality in the brotherhood of mankind
which is the only bond that can make
US think justly Of one another and act
righteously before God Himself.
81 value the churches OF this country
as ! would value everything else that
makes for the stability OF our moral
processes. There are great many
reople-not so many that they give me
any particular concern, but. Eeverthe-
less. a great many people-who, in the
language of the day, are trying hard
to rock the boat The boat is too big
for them to rock. They are of such
light material that they cannot rock it
very much, but they are going through
the motions. and it is just as well for
them to look around once in while
and see the great steadfast body OF
self-possessed Americans not to be hur-
ried into any unconside line OF ac-
tion, sure that when you are right you
can be calm. sure that when the quarrel
il none of yours you can be impartial,
sure that the men who spend their pas
sion most will move the body polite the
least, and that the reaction Will not be
upon the great body of American cltl-
zens, but upon themselves.
so that | look upon you in the
present circumstances as great part
OF the stabiizer of the nation. You
know that somebody has just invented
a thing called a stabiliZer that Is used
in connection with aeroplanes, and by
some process, the mechanics or which
| have not had explained to me, and,
perhaps, could not understand II ! had,
this corrects the erratic movements OF
the machine so that it, when adjusted,
determines the plane upon which the
machine is OF move, and the machine
cannot depart from it. Something like
that is the function of the great moral
forces of the world, to act as staoil-
izers even when we go up in the arr.
IL have come to you tonight, there
fore, may | say, for reinsurance, TO
look upon an undisturbed body Of men
who have their compasses and know
the moral charting of the world. We
know what haven we are bound Tor.
We know the only legitimate processes
by which one can work his way against
the trade winds of evil in the world to
the haven desired. So | am sure that
| shall 90 away from here reinforced.
81 need not tell you that the Presi-
dent by himself is absolutely nothing.
The President is what the American
nation sustains. and if it does not sus-
tain him. then his power IS contemp-
tible and insignificant. II | can speak
for you and represent you. and IN some
sense hand on the moral forces that
YOU represent, then | am indeed power
ful. II ! cannot, then | am indeed
weak | shall hope and believe that
go away from here sustained. as
Bishop Gambler has so generously
said, by your prayers. | hope | shall
feel that | am also sustained by your
confidence