Evening star., 1916-06-13
HOLDS 1T is IMPERATIVE
COUNTRY BE PREPARED
Scores Hyphenates and Warns
Against Militarism-Declares
Present War Had to Come.

trine. divided allegiance and the ideals
of America. He declared it is the pres
ent imperative duty of the United
States to be prepared. adding, Man
kind is going to know that when
America speaks she means what she
says" He came here to attend the
| graduation exercises at the Military
Academy.
The President said the United States
should not be a clustering nation. a
nation with "a chip on its shoulder
but a calm nation which will withhold
its hand as long as possible and strike
only for victory.
The Presidents address ran through al
most the entire list of subjects discussed
by former Justice Hughes in his telegram
accepting the republican nomination, and
he declared that the United States is
ready to join with other nations to see
that the kind of justice it believes in is
given.
Must Put America First.
Shaking his finger emphatically. the
President told the graduates Of the Mil
itary Academy and large audience that
nobody who does not put America first
can be tolerated. He added, however,
that true Americans should set good
example.
The President declared the present
| war did not come by accident, but that
| il had to come. The United States wants
nothing from Europe, he said, and there
is nothing she wants that she must get
! by war. He sounded a warning that nc
man can tell what the next day will
bring forth in the worlds events.
The word "Americanism" was used
today by the President for the first
time in recent addresses. He constant.
ly referred to the West Point graduates
to whom he was speaking. but referred
more to national and international
problems. He warned the graduates
against militarism. The Presidents
applause and he was cheered as he nm
| ished.
Text Of Presidents Speech.
The text Of the Presidents speech is
as follows:
| Il look upon this body of men who
are graduating today with a peculiar
interest. I feel like congratulating
them that they are living in a day not
only SO interesting because fraught
with change, but also because SO re-
sponsible. Days of responsibility are
the only days that count in time, be-
cause they are the only days that give
test of quality. They are the only days
when manhood and purpose is tried out
as if by fire.
! 81 need not tell you young gentlemen
that you are not like an ordinary grad
uating class of one of our universities.
! The men in those classes look forward
] to the life which they are to lead after
4 graduation with a great many Ques-
! tions in their mind. Most of them do
not know exactly what their lives are
| going to develop into. Some of them
I do not know what occupations they are
. going to follow. All of them are con-
| jecturing what will be the line of duty
/ and advancement and the ultimate goal
| Of success for them.
There is no conjecture for you. You
have enlisted in something that does
! not stop when you leave the academy.
/ for you then only begin to realize it,
the full richness of its meaning. and
! you can look forward with absolute
| certainty to the sort of thing that
you will be obliged to do.
Different Prospect Faced.
This has always been true of gradual
| ing classes at West Point. but the GER
,ainty that some Of the older classes used
to look forward to was a very dull GER
! tainty.
Some of the old days in the army,
fancy, were not very interesting days.
Sometimes men like the present chief OF
staff. for example. could fill their lives
with the interest Of really knowing and
understanding the Indians of the western
plains. knowing what was going on inside
OF their minds and being able to be the
intermediary between them and those
who dealt with them by speaking their
! sign language, could enrich their lives
but the ordinary life Of an ordinary officer
at a western post could not have been
very exciting. and / think with admira-
tion of those dull years through which of
ficers who had not great deal to do in
| sisted nevertheless upon being efficient
and worth while. and keeping their men
fit. at any rate. for the duty to which
they were assigned.
| But in your ease there are manv
extraordinary possibilities, because
gentlemen. no man can certainly tell
you what the immediate future is go.
ing to be either in the history of this
country or in the history of the world
1t is not by accident that the present
great war came in Europe. Every ele-
ment was there and the contest had te
come sooner or later, and it is not go
ing to be by accident that the result.
are worked out. but by purpose-by tn.
purpose Of the men who are strono
enough to have guiding minds and in.
domitable wills when the time for de.
cision and settlement comes
U. s. Has Part to Play.
And the part that the United State,
Is to play has this distinction in il. tha,
il is to be in any event a disinterestec
part There is nothing that the United
states wants that it has to get b,
war, but there are a great many thing,
that the United states has to do. Il
has 70 see tsat its life is not inter.
fered with by anybody else who want,
| something.
These are the days when we are mali
ing preparation. when the thing mos
, commonly discussed around every sor
, of table. in every sort of circle, in IN,
shops and in the streets. is prepared
ness. and undoubtedly. gentlemen. tina
lis the present imperative duty of Amer
ica-to be prepared. But we ought I.
know what we are preparing. l re
member hearing a wise man say ono.
that the old maxim that everything
, comes to the man who waits Is all yer,
!. well provided he knows what he Il
5 waiting for and preparedness Nigh
CONTINUED on Second Page.)