The Washington times., 1916-01-30
HARD TO KEEP PEACE,
DECLARES PRESIDENT
Makes Startling Appeal for Ma.
ticnaI Defense Before 5000
Persons at Pittsburgh.
Continued from First PageO


OF the country. last night The Presi-
dent boldly asserted that the United
States Is not afraid of any nation, but
that in case of national peril he reared
for America because of the inadeduacy
and inefficiency OF the military arms
OF the country.
LET me tell you. gentlemen" the
President stated emphaticaly, you
can't afford to postpone adequate pre-
paredncss.
II do not know what tho next day will
bring. I do not mean to point to any
particular danger, but we are being
swept along In things over which we
have no control. No man can say what
the next day or the next week may
bring.
out of the war, but you must help me In
maintaining the honor Of the nation.
America is not afraid OF anybody l
know that l express your Feelings ana
the feeling of all our fellow-eltizens
when I say that the only thing / am
afraid of is not being ready to perform
my duty. ! am afraid of the danger OF
shame; / am afraid Of the danger OF
inadeduacy; l am afraid Of the danger
of not being able to express the great
character Of this country with tremen-
dous might and effectiveness whenever
we arc called upon to act In the field
OF the worlds affairs, for II Is charac-
ter we are going to express not power
merely"
After the address to. the chamber Of
commerce members, the President re-
turned TO his hotel where nearly $3.50
persons congreRated. He spoke q few
words of appreciation, but did not make
an address a.
IT am a union man. said the Presi-
dent, 'and / mustn't work over eight
hours q day..
Presidents Speech.
Following Is the Presidents speech:
II esteem It a real privilege TO be II
Cleveland again and to address you
upon the serious questions of public
policy which now confront us. I have
not given myself this sort Of pleasure
very often since have been President.
for hope that you have observed what
my conception of the office of Presi-
dent Is. / do not believe that ordinarily
speaking II Is a speeCh-makinE office.
! have found the eXactiOns Of II such
that 1t WIS absolutely necessary for me
to remain constantly In touch with the
daily changes Of public business. and
you so arranged II that ! should be
great deal of public business to remain
in touch with.
But the times arc such. gentlemen.
that IL is necessary that we should take
common counsel toSetnef TeEaFulnS
them. l suppose that this country has
never found itself before in so singular
position. The present situation of the
world would only twelve months ago,
even after the European war had
started. have seemed incredible. and yet
now the things that no man anticipated
have happened. The titanic struggle
continues. The difficulties of our af-
fairs accumulate. II was. OF course.
evident that this was taking place Ions
before the present session of Congress
assembled. But only since the Congress
assembled has IT been possible to con-
slider what we ought to do in the new
circumstances of the times. Congress
cannot know what to do unless the
nation knows what T. do. and it seemed
to me not only my privilege but my
duty to 20 out and inform my fellow
courtrymen 'ust what understood the
present situation to be.
TwO-thirds at War
What are the elements OF the case
In the first place. and most obviously.
twG-thirds OF the world are at war. IL
is not merely a European struggle; ma
tions in the Orient have become in
vOlved as we'll as nations in tho west,
| and everywhere there seems TO be
creeping even upon the nations disen-
gagged the spirit and the threat of war.
All the world outside OF America Is on
| fire DO you wonder that mems imagi-
nations take color from the situation?
For my own part. l am sorr" that
| those things fall within the year OF a
| national political campaign. They ought
| to have nothing whatever to 90 with
| politics. The thing to do now is for al
men Of all parties TO think along the
same lines and to do the same things
and forget every difference that may
have divided them,