The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-28
Roosevelt Addresses Banquet OF
n. Y. MethOdists.
Cites Own Record as Right to
Speak for Peace.
DIN GREETS NEXT PRESIDENT
"He Made Our Flag Respected
Turnout the Earth"
Preparedness Could Have Avert
ed e. s. War of 1912.

: New York. April 2S--Theodore
Roosevelt last night castigated the for
eign policy of President Wilson, de-
claring it ''timid and weak and de-
claring that its result would be to in
vite war instead of averting It.
He spoke at a banquet of the Metho-
dist Social union o New York and his
address was an urgent plea for ade-
quate preparedness that we may be
able Ito do our duty to ourselves
Il abhor wanton and unjust wsr."
/ declared Colonel Roosevelt, but to
seek the peace of dishcnor is not only
in itself utterly debasing, but also fails
in the long run to secure even its own
: ignOble end
4 Colonel Roosevelt's entire address
was a plea for peace through ability to
take our own part large number
OF Methodists attended the banquet
and applaudec his views enthusiastic
cally-
Right to Speak for Peace.
I have a right to speak for peace
he cried. Il was president seven and
a half years. This nation in all that
! time never for one moment permitted
I any power 20 wrong this country or to
I wrong Americans either in their per-
u son or property or to make Us recreant
to our duty to others: and yet during
/ those seven and half years not one
shot was fired by any man in Ameri-
can uniform against a foreign foe. and
not one American man. woman or
child was slain by Representatives of
any foreign nation
The colouePs reference to the
weakness and timidity'' CT the pres
ent administration was made in re-
cita1 Of the results of the foreign pol
icy of the United States in dealing
( with Mexico and Germany Colonel
Roosevelt declared that firm stand
d5a+ "a
preparation to defend those rights
would have saved hundreds of Amer
lean lives OF both sides of the Mexican
border and in the war zone.
Guest of Honor.
Colonel Roosevelt was the guest of
honor When he entered the. banquet
I hail the, orchestra played the Star
FSpangled Banner Eight HUNDRED
/ persons arose and broke into loud
! cheers which last for fully three min
utes.
Finally Walter r. Comfort. the
POSTMASTER, secured order. just as he
was about to speak man in the GAL
lery shouted Three cheers for the
next president of the United States"
Pandemonfum again broke loose
the second demonstration lasting as
long as the first
When order was restored. Toastmas-
ter Comfort, in introducing Mr.. Roose-
welt, declared:
POSTMASTER Pays Respects.
He made our flag to be respected
throughout all the earth. Under his
rule every American citizen was pro-
tected in his rights in every land and
on every sea-
He paid his respects to the "hyphen-
ated American in the following
words:
I'VE can play the greatest part on
behalf of peace that any nation has
We TaI-
permanent place as a great nation
only If we realize that We are a sepa-
rate nation, akin to but distinct from
all the peoples of Europe.
We must set our faces against the
hyphenated American and against the
men who seek to manage our political
life in accordance with the interests
from which their forefathers came"
Refers to Circuit Riders.
Colonel Roosevelt opened his adj
dress by referring to the circuit riders
who spread the gospel west of the AL
leghenies in the early days.
They believed in keeping the
peace, he said. but they strove for
the peace that comes through right
eousness. They We're not only good
Christians, but sound, stalwart Ameri-
can patriots They knew that there
Is a peace which is the peace OF cow
ardtce and that the peace of coward =
ice becomes in the end, the peace of
death
China has sought peace through
helplessness, through refusal to pre-
pare, through inability to hold her
own, and China now sees half her ter
rltory IN possession of alien powers
and is not even her own master in the
territory which she retains
aOhor wanton and unjust war as
1 abhor violence and Iawlessness in
private life No more ardent lover of
peace ever lived than Abraham Lin
coin But when he was obliged to
choose between righteousness and
peace, he choose Righteousness.
Could Have Averted 1912 War.
If. during the few years prior to
the war of 1912. the American peo-
pie had been willing to build a fleet
: of 20 battleships and an efficient army
OF even 10000 men, there would have
been no war OF 1912 at all. We would
! have obtained peace and we would
| have had peace and self respect
| We are at the moment engaged in
l a little war in Mexico. a futile little
war, which may at any time burst
out into a general blaze. which can
! not possibly result in any real settle
ment of the situation. We are so en-
gagged because our nation Failed to dc
its duty from the outset in Mexican
matters, failed repeatedly and contin-
uously.
Nearly 100 Americans, some oil
them women and children, some OF
| them soldiers of the United states
| were killed or wounded on American
soil by MeXieans on different oeca-
| sions before the raid at Columbus took
place.
Border Killings Unnecessary
IF the yer yfirst time such an in