The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-02-09
GERMAN-A|MER|CANS
AGAIN CHEER WILSON
EXECUTIVES WORDS STIR HIS
HEARERs-MAY BRING DE-
FENSE FIGHT SOUTH.

st. Louis, Feb. 3.-Presldent WILL
son to-day brought his preparedness
tour to a close here by stirring
great audience cf $4,000 German
Americans to a near-frenzy of patrl-
otic enthusiasm. $50,
.Will YOU come when 1 call?" he
asked. ,,,
Cries of eyes! Yesw and "You bet
we willn' came from all sides OF the
Coliseum, where the President dellV-
cred his principal address of the day,
and the crowd fairly rocked the big
hall with its applause.
The President drove home IN en-
phatic words that the army he wants
will be a citizen one and not a pro-
fessional one. This brought about an
other storm of cheers.
This morning before he delivered
his last address of the trip here ne
was as happy as boy. He had gone
out into the country to wake 1T up TO
the need of preparedness and hao
found that the country was Wlde
awake.
Rough on Pacihsts.
The President handled the pacifists
in the roughest fashion he has yet
used, and the St. Louis crowd cheered
his every sarcastic statement.
'These men look straight into the
face of facts" said the President,
"and see nothing but atmospheric air.
"You should listen with indulgence
to them, but absolutely ignore their
words. They have right to talk, but
no right to influence US.
Nothing chills folly like exposure
to the air."
81 came into the Middle West to
find something, and found it," de-
clared the President as he faced the
immense Coliseum audience.
81 was told" he continued, that
the feeling in the Middle West was
not the same as on the coasts. knew
that the men who said so did not
know what they were talking about. |
know the spirit of America, and l
know what Americans will do when
their rights are threatened:" -,
"America is at peace with all the
world, and desires to remain at peace
with all the world" he said, as ne
took up his Coliseum speech.
s'It is a real peace, not shallow
neace. It is not a peace based on
selfish interests. America is friendly
with all the world.
Understands Country's Ties.
"America is drawn from all the ma
tons of the world. 1t would tear our
heartstrings to be at war with any Oh
notinnS
"But if we had to defend and main
tain our rights by going to war;
America would do it.
81 have no indictment of any form
of government. But 1 do not know
where any people ever went to war
with a people. And in America no
man is master.
$50 far as America is concerned,
no man need go about preaching
peace. We are disciples of peace al
ready. .,
81, in my individual capacity, am a
disciple of domestic peace and happl-
ness" stated the President, but ne
was stopped with loud laughter. he
smiled as he saw the crowd take the
statement in connection with his mar
riage. ..
@The danger is from without, not
within" he declared, with emphasis,
and the big German American crowd
stamped approval. "Submarine COM
manders, for the most part, have IN
structions that conform with lnterna-
tional law. But one reckless COM
mander of a submarine, by placing
his own interpretations on what his
government wants and by rasn act'
set the whole world on fire"
For Actual Neutrality.
The President, in solemn tones,
stirred the crowd to wild enthusiasm
with the statement:
eve respect other nations, and ao-
solutely respect their rights, SO long
as they respect our rights. We have
tried to think of the point OF view
of the other side" he continued. l
want the record to show that we
stand for actual neutrality and not
pretended neutrality.
"You know how one nation has been
largely cut off from communication
with the outside world owing to the
war. And this has had lot to DO
with sentiment in this country. But
despite that, l believe that this ma
ton has been absolutely neutral.
"The peace Of America depends on
what other nations do. And that is
why l have come to encourage you to
prepare. ,
"Now, here is the choice, and |
don't see how prudent man could
doubt which alternative to take. Ell
ther we shall sit still and wait for a
necessity for immediate national pre-
parations to come and then call on
raw recruits who for months will be
useless, and even then of little use
because of inexperience, or we shall
adopt the ancient American princl-
pie of making the men of America
ready to take care of their govern
ment."
"You Bet Well Gomez
The Preident aroused the widest
enthusiasm when he declared he
wanted citizen army and not a pro-
fessional one.
"Will you come, and in the right
spirit?" he asked, pausing.