The Colorado statesman., 1915-10-23

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington-Pres Wilson in a
proclamation designating Thursday, |
Nov 20, as Thanksgiving Day, called
attention to the fact that the United
States has been at peace while most
of Europe has been at war
I'VE have been able to assert our
rights and the rights of mankind with.
out breach of friendship with the
great nations with whom we have to
DEAL" said the President. The text
follows:
'It has long been the honored Gus
tom of our people to turn in the fruit
full autumn of the year in praise and
thanksgiving to Almighty God for His
many blessings and mercies to us as
a nation. The year that is now draw
ing to a close since we last observed
our day of national thanksgiving has
been, while a year of discipline be-
cause of the mighty forces of war and
of changes which have disturbed the
word, also a year of special blessing
for us.
Another year of peace has been
vcuchsafed us; another year in which
not only to take thought of our duty
to ourselves and to mankind, but also
to adjust ourselves to the many re-
sponsibilities thrust upon us by war
which has involved almost the whole
of Europe. We have been able to as
sert our rights and the rights of man.
kind without breach of friendship
with the great nations with whom we
have had to deal. and while we have
asserted rights, we have been able
also to perform duties and exercise
privileges of succor and helpfulness
which should serve to demonstrate
our desire to make the offices of
friendship the means of truly disin-
terested and unselfish service.
"Our ability to serve all who could
avail themselves of our services in
| the midst of crises has been increased
by gracious Providence by more and
more abundant crops; our ample
financial resources have enabled us to
steady the markets of the world and
| facilitate necessary movement of COM
merce which the war might otherwise
have rendered impossible; and our
people have come more and more to
a sober realization of the part they
have been called upon to play in
time when all the world is shaken
by unparalleled distress and disas-
ters.
The extraordinary circumstances
of such a time have done much to
quicken our national consciousness
and deepen and confirm our conf
dence in the principle of peace and
freedom by which we have always
sought to be guided. Out of darkness
and perpleXities have come firmer
counsels of policy and clearer percep-
tions of the essential welfare of the
nation. We have prospered while
other people were at war, but our
prosperity has been vouchsafed us,
we believe, only that we might the
better perform the functions which
war rendered it impossible for them
to perform.
Now, therefore, |, Woodrow Will
son, President of the United States of
America, do hereby designate Thurs
day. the 25th of November, next, as
day of thanksgiving and prayer, and
invite the people throughout the land
to cease from their wonted occupa-
tions and in their several homes and
places of worship render thanks to
Almighty God.
In witness whereof, l have here
unto set my hand and caused the seal
os the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington.
this Goth day of October, in the year
of Our Lord. one thousand nine hun
dred and fifteen, and of the independ-
ence of the United States of Amer
| lea, one hundred and fortieth
BY the President,
WOODROW WILSON.
ROBERT LANSING,