Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-03-02
TAFT SCENTS DANGER
Ex.Presidsnt Thinks United States
May be Forced to Move.

Ex-Presidont Thinks United states
May be Forced to Move.
Morristown, N. j., February 23.-
The United States Is threatened with
J a serious invasion Of its rights as
neutral by the warning nations Of Eu-
rope and in preserving its commerce
with those nations Is face to face with
a crisis, in the opinion Of former Presi-
dent VIM. H. Taft. In the solution of
that crisis, should it arise, no lingo
spirit must be allowed to prevail, Mr..
Taft advised; neither pride nor mo-
mentary passion should influence
Judgment.
when the president shall act" Mr..
Taft declared, 1--WE must stand by him
to the end. In this determination we
may be sure that all will join no mat
ter what their European origin. All
will forget their differences in self
sacrificing loyalty to our common flag
and our common country"
Mr.. Taft's reference to the situation
confronting the United States was
made at the conclusion Of an address
yesterday before the Washington as
sociation Of New Jersey. Quoting a
reservation in the treaty Of Algericas,
proclaimed in 1907, and entered into
by the United States and eleven Euro
pean nations, including most Of those
now at war, Mr.. Taft said:
Our interest in the present war,
under the conditions that exist should
be limited as set forth in their reser-
vation, to wit:
"To preserving and increasing the
commerce Of the United States with
the belligerents; to the protection as
to life, liberty and prosperity Of our
citizens, residing or travelling in their
countries, and to the aiding by our
friendly offices and efforts in bringing
those countries to peace
t"Our efforts for peace" he contin-
ued. have been made as complete as
possible, for the president has already
rendered his good offices, by way Of
mediation between the powers, and
they have not been accepted.
I'm preserving the commerce Of the
United States with the belligerents,
however, we are face to face with a
crisis. Tie planting Of mines in the
open sea and the use Of submarines to
send neutral vessels to the bottom
without inquiry as to their neutrality
when found in a so-called war zone Of
the open sea, are all Of them varia-
ton from the rules Of international
law governing the action Of belliger-
ents towards neutral trade.
when their violation results in the
destruction of the lives Of American
citizens or Of American property, a
grage issue will arise as to what the
duty Of the president and congress in
meeting the critical issue thus present
ed in maintaining our national honor
on the one hand, with due regard to
the awful consequences to our co.
000.0 Of people Of engaging in this
horrible world war, on the other hand
will be very great. 1t involves on their
part a judgment so momentous in its
consequences that we should earnest
ly pray that the necessity for it may
be averted.
IF, however, the occasion arises, we
can be confident that those in author
ity will be actuated by the highest pa
triotic motives and by the deepest
concern for our national welfare. We
must not allow our pride or moment
ary passion to influence our judgment.
We must exercise the deliberation that
the fateful consequences in the loss Of
our best blood and enormous waste Of
treasure would necessarily impose up
on u.s. We must allow no jingo spirit
to prevail. We must abide the judg-
ment of those in whom we have en-
trusted the authority and when the
president shall act we must stand by
him to the end.
This 183rd anniversary Of Wash
ington's birth, should bring to our
minds the third great achievement Of
his presidential term, the maintenance
Of policy of neutrality through a
general European war. He maintain
ed it throughout his official life as
president against mighty odds and un-
der conditions that tried his soul; and
in his farewell address he restated and
reinforced 1t as a legacy to the Ameri-
lean people,"