The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-09
PRESIDENT SPEAKS
 BEFORE CONFERENCE
Unwise to Pronounce Judg-
 ment on War
TRUTH NOT REVEALED
Great Cloud of Trouble Hanging Over Most of World, Says Woodrow Wilson at
 Church Meeting

Washington, April S.-In a speech be- fore the Maryland annual conference of the Methodist Protestant church in ses- sion here tonight. President Wilson said 1t was his belief that no man was wise enough to pronounce judgment on the European war at this time. But he added, i've can all hold our spirits in readiness to accept the truth when it is revealed to us in the outcome of this titanic struggle.s
 The President reminded the delegates that in transacting the business of their church they like the men in charge of the nations government were. in reality, handling "the phases of the day"
 You are handling the affairs of the church as they stand under the treatment of the men of your generation" he said. Back of them lie the eternal principles which you are trying. to exemplify in the life of the work; back of us here in the government He the eternal principles of justice and righteousness, which in my conviction at any rate. we do not derive from ourselves, but from the same source which a great church derives it's inspiration and authority
 Days of Perplexity
 Tt seemed to me that it was worth saying somethink like this. These are days of very great perplexity. when a great cloud of trouble hangs and broods over the greater. part of the world It seems as if great, blind material forces had been released which had for long been held in leash and restraint. And yet underneath that you can see the strong impulses of great ideals. It would be impossible ladies and gentlemen, for men to go through what men are going through on the battlefields of Europe and struggle through the present dark night of their terrible struggle if it were not that they saw, or thought they saw, the broadening of light where the morning should come up and believed that they were standing each on his side of the contest for some eternal principle of right.
 Then all about them. all about us, there sits the silent, waiting tribunai which is going to utter the ultimate judg- ment upon this struggle, the great tribu- nal of the opinion of the world, and 1 fancy I see. l hope that l see, l pray that it may be that I do truly see, great spiritual forces lying waiting for the out come of this thing to assert themselves, and asserting themselves even now, to enlghten our judgment and steady our spirits. No man is wise enough to pro- nounce judgment but we can all hold
  truth when it dawns on us and is re- vealed to US in the outcome of this titanic struggle.
 Outcome PrOblematical
 You will see that it is only in such general terms that one can speak srN the midst of a confused world, because, as I have already said no man has the key to this confusion. No man can see the outcome, hut every man can keer his own spirit prepared to contribute to the net result when the outcome displays itself.
 That is the reason I said to body similar to this only a few nights ago that I welcomed the atmosphere which these solemn assessments of the human spirit bring to Washington. For this is the place of assessment. In one sense Washington is not even part of the United States. It Is where everybody else comes and sooner or later speaks his mind about the United States, and about many outlying parts of the world"