El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-11
HUMANITY FIRST.
SAY5PRESIDENT
Naturalized Citizens Show
Unity in Cheering Wilson
During His Speech.

Philadelphia. Pa, May 11.-Fifteen
thousand Americans. united in national
purpose no matter where their place OF
birth. heartily cheered president viii
son late Monday when he delivered an
address in Convention hall for the par
/ ticular benefit Of 1000 .uaturalized
! Americans. His keynote was "human-
( ity first" 1t was the presidents first
/ public appearance since the tOrpedoing
! Of the Lusitania- The demonstration
Of patriotism was considered note
/ worthy.
Crowd Waves Flags.
! When the president reached conven-
{ ton hall he was escorted to a seat BY
mayor Rudolph Blankenburg. He found
secretaries Wilson and Daniels on the
| platform The hall was densely packed.
{ Little American flags were held by
5 thousands who stood and waved and
/ cheered as the president entered. The
l white and blue.
/ Let US unite in singing America"
I were the words spoken with distinct
I German accent, with which mayor
/ Blankenburg opened the meeting. The
/ president stood with the crowd and
! Joined in the singing.
/ Mayor, Once German, Speaks.
Mayor Blankenburg called attention
] TO the fact that like the other aliens,
l he had come from foreign shores to
I find in the United States a home" He
! said that a great responsibility" went
with taking out citizenship in the Unit
J ed states, adding that new citizens
! must do more than swear allegiance to
their adopted country. Let me beseech
. YOU" he added. ito be Americans first.
last and all the time. no matter what
may happen in the world at large
Seeretnry Wilson Talks.
When the mayor concluded he was
warmly applauded- He then introduced
United states judge Joseph Burlington
and secretary Wilson, Of the department
OF labor.
While secretary Wilson was speak
ing a baby child Of a new citizen be-
gan crying and the president smiled.
Those who have taken the oath OF
allegiance to the United States can
have no dual allegiance. Like you. MI
mayor. and the guests here tonight ] !
am one Of those who was born abroad ]
and has sworn allegiance to the Unit !
ed States"
WASH StOn-LincOIn Pictures shown. /
Prior TO the presidents address, J
moving pictures showing leading I
events in the lives Of presidents Wash !
ington and Lincoln were thrown on a 1
screen
L. s. Places Humanity First.
President Wilson spoke by implica- ]
tion but his hearers interpreted his 1
remarks as meaning that while the I
United States would remain at peace, il j
would seek 20 convince Germany Of the /
injustice to mankind OF the tragedy Of 4
last Friday
America" said the president, must
have the consciousness that on all I
sides it touches elbows and touches /
heart with all nations OF mankind. The
example OF America must be a special
example and must be an example not 1
merely Of peace, because IL will not
fight because peace is a healing and
elevating influence OF the world and
strife is not.
There is such a thing as a man be-
T. M
thing as being so right that II does
not need TO convince others by force
that il is riEht"
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-
zenshlp TO be a loyalty not to the coun-
try Of ones birth, but to the land Of
ones adoption.
BreakinE Former Ties
While you bring" he said, all coun-
tries with you, you come with a pur-
pose OF leaving all other countries be-
hind you-bringing what is best OF
their spirit, but not looking over your
shoulder or seeking to perpetuate what
you leave in them / would not Ger
tainly be one who would suggest that
q man cease TO love the place OF his or
1gin- It IS one thing to love the place
dedicate yourself to the place where !
you 60 You can't be an American IL
you think Of yourself in groups Amer
lea does not consist of groups. A man
who considers himself as belonging to
a national group is not yet an Amer
lean
MY advice 70 you Is to think first
not only Of America, but to think first I
Of humanity. You do not love humani- Z
y II you seek to divide humanity in |
jealous camps"
Some OF the passages in his speech
which the crowd applauded most loud
" were these:
4 am sorry for the man who seeks
TO make capital out OF the passions Of
his fellow man. He has lost the touch
and ideal OF America, for America was .
created TO unite mankind by the pas I
sions that lift and unite and not by
the passions that separate and debase
'"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.
Il was born in America. You dreamed I
Of what America was to be, and I hope
you brought dreams with you No man
who does not see visions will ever re-
llize any high hopes or undertake any
great enterprise"
Feels Renewal of Spirit.
In his perfOration the president I
aroused much enthusiasm when he said
he felt that he ought not be away from
and after coming he found
the gathering renewed his spirits AS
an American"
In Washington" he said men tell
you so many things every day that are