Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-02-04
The World Is On Fire.

The World Is On Fire.
President Wilson. opening at Pittsburg,
Pa. last Saturday. his six-day program of
speaking in the Middle West on national
preparedness. told a throng which packed
Memorial Hall that the test of national
preparedness lay not with Congress but
with the young men Of the country in their
answer to the call to volunteer. and their
employers. who should oppose no obstacle
to free response.
President Wilson arose to speak amid a
tremendous outburst Of applause.
Il am conscious Of q sort Of truancy in
being absent from my duties at Washing
tor" said the President, land yet 1t did seem
to me to be clearly the obligation laid upon
me by the Office to which ! have been
chosen that as your servant and represen-
tative should come and report to you
upon the progress Of public affairs. 1t has
always been feeling Of mine that the
best place for public servants was in the
presence Of those they serve and that 1t was
the obvious duty Of every public man to
hold frank counsel with the people them
selves.
Il must frankly admit, with apologies to
the chairman of the meeting and his asso-
ciates, that get great deal more in
SEPARATION outside Of Washington than in
side of 1t. Not because others are not as
d, -Sted as am to the performance Of their
duties. but because you. the people Of the
United States. live outside Of Washington.
And the subject upon which have come
to address you is one upon which frank
counsel is particularly needed.
you know that there is a multitude Of
voices upon the question Of national de-
tense. and for my part am not inclined
to criticise any of the views that have
been put forth upon this important subject.
because II there is one thing that we love
more than another in the United States it
is that every man should have the privi-
lege, unmolested and uncriticised. to utter
the real conviction Of his mind. Some of
the things that are being said proceed from
sentiment, and would be the last to de-
tract from genuine sentiment. feel my
self moved by some Of these sentiments
with the conclusion Of which | cannot
agree, just as the gentlemen are moved
themselves who utter them. believe in
peace love peace would not be true
American II did not love peace.
But know that peace costs something
and that the only way in which you can
maintain peace is by thoroughly enjoying
the respect of everybody with whom you
deal, and while. therefore. | can subscribe
to every desire which those fine people have
who are counseling us against assuming
arms in this country. must ask them to
think a second time about the circum-
stances under which we are living.
There are other counselors. the source
Of whose counsel is passion. and with them
cannot agree. II is not wise. II is not pos
sible. to guide national policy under the i'm
pulse Of passion. would be ashamed Of
the passion of fear and would try to put
the passion Of aggression entirely aside In
advising my fellow-citizens what they
should do at any great crisis Of their ma
tional life. America does not desire any
thing that any other nation can give it,
except friendship and justice and right
conduct. am sorry for my part TO see
any passion, whether Of fear or dislike.
stir the counsels Of America. have coun-
seled my fellow-citizens not only to be
neutral in the presence Of the present great
European struggle in action. but also to be
neutral in spirit and in feeling. And
have tried for my own part to hold of from
every passion"
Following are the additional striking
points Of his speech:
know that when the world is running
red with blood it is hard to keep the judy
ment cool When men are suffering and
offering up heroic sacrifices il is hard not
to let the passion Of sympathy take prece-
dence over the GOODNESS Of judgment
We want the spirit Of America to be
efficient we want American character to
display itself in what may perhaps be
allowed to call spiritual efficiency clear
disinterested thinking and fearless action
along the right lines Of thought. II is as
tonishingly easy to prove that something
is wrong. which nobody has proposed And
this nation is not going TO be deceived by
the fears Of gentlemen who are fearful only
of those things which they have imagined.
We are not going to be estopped and
daunted by ghosts and fancies.
The world is on fire, and there is finder
everywhere. The sparks are liable to drop
anywhere, and somewhere there may be
material which we cannot prevent from
bursting into flame. The whole influence
Of passion is abroad in the world and II is
not strange that men see red in such cir
cumstances.
do not believe that the fire is going to
begin, but would be surer Of 1t IL we were
ready for the fire. And do want to come
as your responsible servant and tell you
this, that we do not control this fire. The
flag stands for something for which we are
trustees. and the great part that America
has TO play ia the world.
America cannot afford 10 be weak and