The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-22
TOO PROUD TO FIGHT
PROVES A SORE SPOT
wilson's Friends Say Remark
Did Not Apply to Lusi-
tania Case.
USED IN QUALIFIED SENSE

WASHINGTON, Jan. c1.-The phrase
Too proud to fght' has, become a sore
spot with officials of the Wilson Admin
istration.
Col. Roosevelts harping upon It and
the Wide currency Il has received as cpl
tomizing the foreign policy Of the Presi-
dent have irritated some officials OF the
Administration SO deeply that to-day
they Dol occasion to point out that the
phrase was used IN a qualified sense by
the President. in an cxtemporaneous nd
dress to newly and naturalized AmerI-
cans. and that 1t never was Intended to
reflect the Presidents attitude on the
German crisis.
The speech In which the President
used tho phrase was delivered In Phila-
delphia a few days after the torpedoing
of the Lusitania, when feeling in this
country was at a white heat. Friends Of
the President to-day produced the fQ.
lowing excerpt from that speech:
The example OF America be a
special example. The example OF
America must be the example not
merely Of peace. because II will not
nRht, but Of peace because peace is
the healing n ~elevating influence OF
the world and strife Is not. There
Ia such a Trims as a man being too
proud to fight. There Is such "A thing
~ a nation being so right that II does
not need to convince others by force
that IL IN right.
The president, II was recall d. re-
pudiated on the day after the speech
the general construction which was put
upon his remarks as arT,lyinr I" the
Lusitani MIA situation. Republicans have
fpstegad aNar dpCe That therp rnu1n N.
no doubt that the President had the
Lusitania case in mind. for II had been
the thought uppermost In the minds Of
every american. They add that me-
must have know that whatever ls -iii
At that time would be taken AS apply
Ing to the tersc situation that existed
Republicans have commended that Mr.
, Wilson. when he saw the words IN typ.
naturally realized his mistake and tried
to correct y
There Is every evidence that the en-
preston Too proud to hght' will rise
up repeatedly from now on TO plague
the President. The expression has swep,
! over the entire world. n many students
of international affairs contend that II
has done NOR. than any other utteranc,
to humiliate Americans
Some Of The Presidents friends AZ,
citing this expression as one OF TN.
dangers that viii confront hin, In enter
ing upon a stump,ng tour IN behalf OF
the national defence O-ranm The,
feel he may let slit, some careless Woil,
which will he used against I'm.
There il ever, likelihood that tn,
President in the course Of hio natlona
preparedness tour will attempt To cor
rect the impression created NY the Too
proud to night expression and to answer
Col. Roosevelt on this score.
h itinerary Tor the Presidents trIJ
was given cut tu-nigh; bh January q
he will speak I'm New YORK r,ty. iie
vii return TO Washington. and on The
following evening viii leave FOR Pitts
burg. He will deliver a speech ;heie 81
Saturday. January 80. and in cleveland
In the evening ~ the same day. 90
Monday he will speal; IN Milwaukee aHt
IN Monday evening N chicago. pI
Tuesday In pes Nome, and uu Nciu.s,
day In Topeka and kaDsa. cay.
The FrCs d,u ~ viii th,u return n
Washington. an. , M late. viii star
out on ~ second tr'p. which may ,sk,
him az far W-.t as Denver and whlol
viii include some % the southern states