South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-07-19
Presidents Refusal
To Be Stampeded
Into War Uph ED

Washington Post Of June 80. on
Fodder for Machine Guns" has
struck a responsive chord through
out the country:
If the honor OF the United States
can be maintained by peaceful
methods, who shall say that the Ma
ton should 90 10 war?
Those who want war must be
willing themselves 10 sacrifice their
lives upon the altar of national de-
votion.
None but a poltroon and coward
would fail 10 make the sacrifice IL
the honor OF the country were at
stake, but only those who are in full
possession OF all the facts in the
Mexican situation can decide what
the national interest demands.
What man in public life. what Of
fetal or orator in the market places,
can say that ne is more jealous of
the national honor than are the peo-
pie themselves? The honor of the
Nation is safe in the hands of the
American people.
And what are the people saying
walk through the streets? What
are they saying about their own
supper table after they have re-
turned from their daily work? In
one of his speeches Pres't Wilson
said.
II would a great deal rather
know what the men on the trains
and by the wayside and in the shops
and on the farms are thinking about
and yearning for than hear any Of
the vociferous proclamations of pol
icy, which it is so easy 10 read by
picking up any scraps of printed
paper"
Those who are expected TO sacri-
fee their lives upon the battlefield.
the fathers and mothers who yield
their sons and who yield them will
ingly when the honor of the Nation
is at stake. should have something
70 say about the question of war.
Two Millions i'm Graves.
Two millions of the men Of Eur
ope lie in their graves as a result OF
the mad war that is still in prog
ress. and yet the honor OF the ma
tons involved has not yet been sat-
isfed
At Verdun 100000 of the finest
men of France. Germany and Eng
land lie dead. The toll demanded
by the European craftsmanship
steadily is mounting. and the end is
rot vet in sight
OF the 2.5OO, 900 men who were in
L. "a
more than 1000, 900 were below the
age OF q years. and the fathers and
mothers sisters and sweethearts
were left behind to agonize and
mourn
II is not the corporations. the
landowners, or the captains Of in
dustry who have the vital interest
&c the question Of war or peace. 1t
is not the politicians or orators. the
organizations of public preparation
lists or public pacifists that have the
most at stake II is the average cit
izen-the citizen who earns his
bread by the sweat OF his brow, the
citizen who loves his family and
ants to continue giving that family
his support and protection who has
the most at stake.
Those orators who cry out for a
given course Of action III the name
Of the national honor without hav-
ing before them all the facts that
affect the national interest in a cri-
Sis merely demonstrate their lack of
responsibility and their callous sell
Gshness.
1t speaks well for the wisdom of
the American people that they have
rever elected a president who has
been stampeded into war by false
advisers or critics.
Will Fight If Need BE.
Great as has been the horror Of
the European war, strong as is the
desire TO preserve the strength of
the United States for the more civ
ilized purposes of humanity. the
American people as a unit will be
ready TO preserve the national honor.
On the one side in the Nation to-
day, as in all crises Of the past,
there are those who without know
ing all the facts on which the great
decision must be made, argue for
Immediate action against Mexico,
regardless of the consequences. on
the other side are those who are
praying that peSceful means of pro-
tecting the Nations honor shall be
completely exhausted before there is
recourse 10 arms and TO the sacrifice
Of the blood Of American soldiers.
Pres't Wilson. with all the facts
before him, was able 10 win a diplo-
matte victory in the submarine con-
troversy. satisfying this Nations
honor without the frigltful toll Of
war
The president of the United states
alone knows the facts in the Mexi-
can situation. He alone can make
the decision that will conserve the
national interests. While orators
are making their arguments in pub
lie places, the people. by wire and
letter. are telling the president that
they, who must make the sacrifices
and who will not ask that some 9TH
er mothers son make it for them,
want peace so long as IL is compat-
ible with the Nations honor.
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