Evening star., 1915-02-23
Former President Taft Warns
Against PeriIs Created by
War in Europe.
UNITED STATES FACING
INVASION OF HER RIGHTS
Appeals to People to Support Presi'
dent in His Efforts to Solve
Existing Problems.

Ex-President William II. Taft. speaking
before the Washington Association or
New Jersey yesterday at Morristown.
took his text from Washington's policy
of strict neutrality in the days of the
French revolution and of war between
England and France. and strongly
urged as strict neutrality today
Mr.. Taft praised President Wilson for
his efforts to this end. He defended
the sale of munitions of war to the bel
Iigerents as consistent with policy OF
neutrality, and also supported the Pres
ident in his refusal to pass judgment
upon the complaints of any of the COM
batants that others had violated the
laws Of war. The speaker, however,
admitted that the menace to American
commerce from mines and submarines
in the water war zone had brought the
country face to face with crisis"
Invasion of Rights Threatened.
The United States is threatened with
a serious invasion of its rights as a
neutral by the warning nations OF
Europe, and in preserving its commerce
with those nations is face to face with
a crisis, in the opinion of Mr.. Taft.
In the solution of that crisis, should 1t
arise, no jingo spirit must be allowed
to prevail. Mr.. Taft advised. Neither
pride nor momentary passion should
influence our judgment
and when the President shall act"
Mr. Taft declared. I'VE must stand by
him to the end. In this determination
we may be sure that all will Join' no
matter what their European origin.
All will forget their differences in
self-sacriicing loyalty to our common
flag and our common country
Quoting from reservation IN the
treaty of Algeciras proclaimed in 1907
and entered into by the United states
and eleven European nations, 1nclud-
ing most of those now at war, Mr. Tart
said:
Peace Effort in Mediation Offer.
Our efforts for peace" he continued.
have been made as complete as pos
sibIe, for the President has already
rendered his good Offices by way of
mediation between the powers, and
they have not been accepted.
IN preserving the commerce of the
United States with the belligerents.
however. we are face to face with a
crisis. We are threatened with a Sc
rious invasion of our rights as neu-
tral in trading with the belligerent
countries. What certainly is an innova-
neutral commerce and contraband of
war has been initiated by the belliger-
ents of both sides. The planting of
mines in the open sea and the use of
submarines to send neutral vessels to
the bottom without inquiry as to their
neutrality, when found in a so-called
war zone of the open sea, are all of
them a variation from the rules of In
ternational law governing the action
of belligerents toward neutral trade.
when their violation results in the
destruction of the lives of American
citizens or of American property. a
grave issue will arise as to what the
duty Of this government is. The re-
sponsibflity of the President and Con-
gress in meeting. the critical issue thus
presented in maintaining our national
rights and our national honor on the
one hand. with due regard to the awful
consequences to over 90,000.000 of peo-
war on the other, will be very great.
1t involves on their part a judgment
so monentous In It's consequences that
We should earnestly pray that the ne
cessity for it may be averted.
Faith in Patriotic Unity.
IF, however, the occasion arises we
can be confident that those in authority
will be actuated by the highest pa
triotic motives and by the deepest con-
Germ for our national welfare. We
must not allow our pride or momen-
tary passion to influence our judgment
We must exercise the deliberation that
the fateful consequences in the loss of
our best blood and enormous waste OF
treasure would necessarily impose upon
us. We must allow no jingo spirit to
prevail We must abide the judgment
of those in whom we have intrustel
the authority, and when the President
shall act we must stand by him to the
end In this determination we may be
sure that all will join, no matter what
rhafr Ypx 70 hot
their European origin. All will forget