The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-05-20
WILSON SAYS PEACE MUST BE
AMERICAS EXAMPLE.
President Will Seek to Convince
Germany of Injustice of Trag-
etly, Is Belief.

President Wilson gave to a gath
ering of 1000 naturalized Amerl-
cans at Philadelphia last week the
first intimation of what course the
United States government will pur-
sue in the situation resulting from
the loss of more than hundred
American lives on the British liner
Lusitania.
He spoke by implication but his
hearers interpreted his remarks as
meaning that while the United States
would remain at peace it would seek
to convince Germany of the injustice
to mankind of the tragedy of last
Friday.
America said the president,
must have the consciousness that
on all sides it touches elbows and
touches hearts witt all nations OF
mankind The example of America
must be special example and must
be an example not merely of peace.
because it will not fight, but because
peace is healing and elevating in
huence of the, world, and strife is
not" -. =. 80: 4 : 9, 5ss'at
..There is such a thing as a man
being TOO proud to fight. There is
such a thing as being so right that
it does not need to convince others
by force that it is right -
These remarks precipitated tu-
multi of applause by a waving OF
thousands of small flags. The presi-
dent made no direct reference to the
Lusitania tragedy, but the audience
did not hesitate to read the appll.
cation of his statement.
Introduced by Mayor Blankenbure
who spoke in distinctly German &C
cent, welcome and an appeal for a
single allegiance to the United States
the president carried forward the
idea of the welding of foreign blood
in the makeup of America by point
ing out the true goal of right
American citizenship to be loyalty
not to the country of ones birth but
to the land of ones adoption.
While you bring" he said, all
countries with you, you come with
a purpose of leaving all other coun-
tries behind you-bringing what is
best of their spirit but not looking
over your shoulder or seeking to
perpetuate what you leave in them.
l would not certainly be one who
would suggest that man ceased to
love the place of his origin. 1t is
one thing to love the place where
you were born and another thing to
dedicate yourself to the place where
you CO. You can't be an American
if you think of yourself in groups.
American does not consist of groups.
A man who considers himself as be-
longing to national group is not
yet an American
wiz fn G RI
not only of America, but to think
first of humanity and you do not love
humanity if you seek to divide hu-
mainly in jealous camps"
The president was constantly in
terrupted by spontaneous outbursts
of applause. He spoke clearly and so
quiet was his audience of $1,000 that
.ie could be heard distinctly in all
parts of the great hall Everywhere
the red, white and blue flags and
bunting were displayed and band
curing the evening played patriotic
airs. Some of the passages in his
speech which the crowd applauded
most loudly were these:
II am sorry for the man who seeks
to make personal capital out of the
passions of his fellow man. He has
lost the touch of an ideal OF Amerl-
ca for America was created to unite
mankind by the passions that lift
and unite and not by the passions
that separate and debase mankind.
"The man who seeks to divide
man from man, group from group,
interest from interest, in the United
States is striking at it's very heart.
Il was born in America. You
dreamed of what America was to be
and hope you breathe dreams with
you. No man who does not see Wis
ions will ever realize any high hopes
or undertake any great enterprise"