Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-14

people and destroy. our property when
they knew that we reposed this trust
In them7 Was there tnything In their
actions up TO this time that would sup
port such n belief? Surely, then, he had
been justified in reposing this trust IN
them And II he had wherein had he
failed to defend the country?
with this latter question. which he
pressed firmly home the President rested
his defense Then. with those solemn
words beginning Let this trust con-
tlnue," the President launched himselt
upon his thrilling peroration In which ne
gathered up all his forces to speak di-
rectly to the conscience OF each individ-
ual Senator, some OF whom he affecting
ly addressed by name particularly those
who, burdened with years. must expect
soon to pass to that region where rumor
OF oppression and deceit, OF unsuccess-
full and successful war would never
reach them more.
AS one Senator expressed It, you
seemingly we're transported to the "un-
fathomable abysms of immensity' and
made n spectator of the birth OF worlds
while the President Numbered forth ms
belief in the moral law and hurled ms
bitter scorn at those practical men VINO
boasted that their feet were on the
solid" earth when all the while the
through space, sustRinedF only by laws
no more visible. ponderable tangible, pal
pable or corporeal than the laws Of faith
and love.
And II the perfect tribute he that or
silence then surely the President received
the finest Of all tributes when he brought
his speech to n close with his stern warn
ing to the Senators that. as each should
vote In the case he would vote, not
primarily to sustain his President or TO
pull him down, but for peace or war.
for advance or recession. for giving the
American Flag new lustre, or for let
ting II continue to wave az n symbol OF
nothing higher than that old. tme-worn,
world-weary doctrine of bloody VEN
geance for injuries received.
VII
It may he said that the FIRST effect
of the Presidents speech was to be-
wilder the world Perhaps large
part Of the bewllderment at least In
this country, could be attributed to the
fact that, instead of talking as man
who was on trial for his official lifr
might be expected to talk. the President
spoke even as one who not only had
authority, but expected to keep 1t. And
the Joke of II was that, in wrangling over
| the merits of the speech and the various
| principles IL sought to establish, the
newspapers and the people came pretty
near forgetting all about the war.
| Yes, I almost believe that all othc:
| considerations with regard to this speech
| are as nothing as compared with the
| humor of the situation which arose whei,
| after debating the matter back and forth
| with the help of the press throughout the
| world, the German and the American
| newspapers came in cold blood to the
| conclusion that 1t really was impossible
| for ba Eaiq n hp n
| and lick us as long as the United States
| Government insisted that it was prepared
| to give them friendly reception. Here
| was a cold. hard, concrete fact that rc-
| fused to go home and go to bed; and the
| way that poor fact was mauled and cuffed
and turned inside out in an attempt u
| discover whence It came and why ii in
| sisted on remaining-well, 1t surely would
have been pathetic, IT, as | say, it had
not been so awfully funny. Undoubtedly.
too, the great majority of those who
| participated in the debate had read or
had heard read time and time again tina:
| old question, "1f God be for us" who
can be against us?"-but, then, I suppose
that no one ever actually does take such
| things seriously.
1t cannot help being matter of regret
to every American that our people kept
| up their sputtering for some time after
the Germans had it definitely settled
| among themselves that David lsraels wa
n remarkable man. OF course we wert
the aggrieved party in the dispute. an
the Germans had the further advantaGC
of being helped to their understandings
of our President by that em;nently fiat
tering picture he drew in his speech oi
their country, its people and its rulers
AS has been well said that part of hi;
speech was a regular solar-pleXus blow
in taking all the fight out of the Ger
/ mans. STILL 1t will ever be a matter ri
regret that we as a people had little con
ception of the character of David lsrael'
in its entirety until we began to reaC
what was being said about him and HE
speech in Germany. England. France anC
even far-away Japan.
one thing | know beyond question Is
that the splendid reparation volunteered
by the Germans for the killing of oui
sailors would have been forthcoming lon-
before II the American people had, from
the start, supported the President in tho
stand he took. Baron Stechmann, TN,
former Ambassador. well knows for one
that this offer was held back only til
1t became evident that the Impeachment
of the President had collapsed. Yet
| again | say that | have no doubt that II
was all for the hest. 1t Is not likely that
under any circumstances other than those
existing at the time could we have eX'
pected the Germans to escort the bodies
of our sailors home with their warships
| and to yield to all of the President
main contentious with reference to the
disputed territory. without even carrying
the matter to The Hague.
Only 1t is great pity that the Presi
dent could not have lived to see the
American people making that fuss over
the German soldiers and sailors whom
only a short time before, they were 50
desrous of greeting with shot and shell
| And II is a still greater pity that ht
could not have lived until the American
people had a chance to make some
reparation to him for the abuse that
they had heaped upon him.
From the start ! had wondered how a
man whose constitution never was robus'
and who WINGED even at the defamation
that is the ordinary experience of every
man in public life. should be able tc
stand before the storm that President
Israels invited when first he refused Il
meet the German preparations for war
with like preparations. 1t appeared Later
that he exhausted all his remaining
strength in making his speech before the
Senate. In getting out OF the carriage
upon his return to the White House, Mr.
Israels staggered slightly and soon after