The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-21
Chief Executive, at Din- ner of Associated Press, Points Out Way For United States To Be Chief Mediator of Worlds War.
Has No Petty Desire'' To Avoid Trouble sI a Man Wants a Scrap That is Worth While, I Am His Man, . is PEesid entss Declara- ton.

t10I.
 wxYurk.s Aprt1 91.--In an address daIfvssd ct the annual luncheon of enc Aasocaatsd Press yeseerday after noon a4a the Wa1dorn Astoria. Presi- Aent wilson declared it to be 'sclear tsaat the svvorAd'a anatHs are drawing raxut1aly Co Aa clinaax- :.
 ssI.e& us stRzdnk of America, before vge think .of Europes in order that Axaszica may be 1t to be Europe 2Eaandk vVihen the day of tested fraend- ] anaaD cdxnss;.s the Preside added, and, In ffntss his hearers seemed to ind an sintsxnation that the United States might becomesan agent of paci- Acafdon-
 Mr. wilson made his definition of neutraTity a motif of his address .sesmpathy for mankind, fairness. good will at bottom, lnpazseaallty CT spirit and 3y1dgment., He deplored fhe uftersrg of islanders against Aznerfca. as ifAto excite her, and de- <siaFed 1t to be ~an afomlnable libel of ienoraneef to say there would be a divided America evensff if she should be drawn into the war
 Regarding neu7rality, fea said: i,s
 sfMy intehest in the neutrality of America is not the petty desire to keep out of trouble. do not want to walk around trouble If any man ypsnts a scrap that is an interesting .scxap ana worth while. am his man warn him that he is not going to draw me into the scrap for his ad- vcrtisenent, but if he Is looking TOT trouble that is the troubles of men tn general and F can nelps. q Alttle, why, then, am in for it,
 It was exident that the President Appreciated the fnportanee of his declarations He spoke earnestly, and in words as weighed as though he read them from n rrzzscript For 1lizla it was asked thai no attempt De made to para phrase his utteranees. but that the off1ciaI tra nscription. by a. shenographer brought by him from the " 7aite House, be aTVa1ted pef9re any publication was made
 Two hundred and seventy Eve nnenn- bers and guests of the Associated Press greeted the President at < o'clock in the grand ballroom of the waldorf Astoria Again and again during the address there were Darsts of applause. notably when MT Walson s. uictured his efforts to put himseM in the place Of the man who re1nseTr- bers first that the whole destIaay Of modern affairs centres largely upon his being an American first of all.
 4 higher, healthier color marked APT- wilson than on his Last visit to New ork There was a tone of sadness sometimes fn his voice. but there was, 100 a. militant note in 1t as he caznesto his concluding sentence.
 ssBm do claim this worthzneas- that before everything else, I. love
 The Presidents address, in full fol
 More Freedom in Past
 T am deeply gratihed by. the gen erous reception you have accorded me It makes me look back with a touch of T stood in this place and enjoyed a-great- CT liberty than is granted me today There have been times when stood on this spot and said what T really thought, and pray God that those days of indulgence may be accorded me again.
 s.But have come here today. of course, somewhat restrained by 3. sense Of responsibility that I cannot escape For take the Associated Press very that you play in the affadrs not only of this country, but of the world.
 s.You deal in the raw material Of opinion, and if my convictions have any validity. opinion ultimately gov eIns the world.
 sIf is therefore of very serious things that I think as [ face this body of men. I do not think of you, how ever, as members of the Associated Press [ do not think of you as men
 
 tscial derIyations, or of different refig- fous denominat1ons I want to talk to you as my fellow citizens of the Unit led States. For there are serious things 2 which, as fellow cfti7enss we ought to consider.
 The times behind ta, gentlemen, have been difficult enough the times before us are likely to be more difi- cult, because, whatever may be said about the present condition of the worlds affairs. it is clear that they are drawing rapidly to a climax, and at the climax the test will come not only Of the nations engaged in the present colossal struggle; it will come for them of course. but the test will come to us particularly.
 May Turn to America
 sFDo you realize that, roughly speak Ing, we are the only great nation at present ddsengaged2 I am not speak ing, Of course. with disparagenlent of the greater of those nations in Europe which are not parties to the present war, but am thinking Of their close their lives, much more than ours, touch the very heart and stuff of the btsi- ness, whereas, we have rolling be- tween us and those bitter days across the water 3se00 miles of cool and silent ocean.
 Our atmosphere is not yet charged with those disturbing elements which must be felt and must perneate every nation Of Europe. Therefore is it not Likely that flsA nations of the world will some day turn to us for the cooler Fasseesment of the clements engaged?