Gilpin observer., 1915-05-13
HUMANITY FIRST,
WILSON'S POLICY
NATION IN RIGHT, MAY NEED NO
FORCE, SAYS PRESIDENT, IN
PHILADELPHIA SPEECH.
O.S.TO REMAIN ATT PEACE
FIFTEEN THOUSAND CHEER AS
NATIONS CHIEF EXECUTIVE
VOICES HOPE FOR PEACE.
western Newspaper Union News Service.


Philadelphia, May 12 President
wilson gave to a gathering of 1000
naturalized Americans Monday night
the first intimation of what course the
United States government will pursue
In the situation arising from the loss
or 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 with all nations of
mankind. The example of America
must be a special example, and must
be an example not merely of peace
because it will not fight, but because
peace is the healing and elevating in
fluence of the world and strife is not.
There is such thing as 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 a tu-
multi of applause and patriotic enthu-
siasm attended by waving of thous-
ands Of small American flags.
The President made no direct refer
ence to the Lusitania, but the audi
ence did not hesitate to read the ap-
plication of his statement.
The sentiment expressed in the
Presidents speech was epitomized
later by one Of his closest advisers as
Humanity First" While it had not
yet been decided, he said, exactly
what steps would be taken by the
United States in the present crisis,
the idea uppermost in the Presidents
mind was to show that whatever
course is adopted-no matter how
vigorous-it will have as it's objective
the good of humanity.
while you bring" he said, "all coun-
tries with you. you come with pur-
pose of leaving all other countries be-
hind you, bringing what is best of
their spirit but not looking over your
shoulder, and seeking to perpetuate
what you intended to leave in them.
1 would not certainly be one who
would suggest that a man cease to
love the place of his origin. 1t is
one thing to love the place where you
were born, and another thing to dedi-
cate yourself to the place to which
you go. You can't be an American If
you think of yourself in groups.
America does not consist of groups.
A man who considers himself as be-
longing to national group is not yet
an American. My advice to you is to
think first not only of America. but
to think first of humanity, and you
do not love humanity il you seek to
divide humanity into jealous camps"
The President was constantly inter-
rupted by spontaneous outbursts of
applause. He spoke clearly, and so
quiet was his audience of $4,000 that
he could be heard distinctly in all
parts of the great hall. Everywhere
the red white and blue flag and bunt-
ing was displayed, and band during
the evening played patriotic airs.
Introduced by Mayor Blankenburg,
who spoke in distinctly a German ac-
cent, welcome and an appeal for
single allegiance to the United States,
the President carried forward the idea
of the welding of foreign blood in the
makeup of America by pointing out
the true goal of right American citi-
zenship, to be loyal not to the country
of ones birth but to the land of ones
adoption.
Some of the passages in the Presi-
dents speech which the crowd ap-
plauded most loudly were these:
'I am sorry for the man who seeks
to make personal capital out of the
passions of his fellow man. He has
lost the touch and ideal of America,
for America was created to unite man.
kind by the passions that life 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 its very heart.
I, was born in America. You
dreamed of what America was to be.
and / hope you bring dreams with
you. No man who does not see
visions will ever realize any high
hopes or undertake auy enterprises
In his peroration. the President
aroused much enthusiasm when he
said that he. had felt that he ought
MT IN ha awav from Washington and
after coming he found the gathering
renewed his spirit as an American"
In Washington. he said. "men tell
you SO many things every day that
are not SO and like to come and
stand in the presence Of my fellow
citizens and drink out Of the common
fountain with them, feeling the sense