The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-08
Respectfully submitted for Colonel
R%OOseyelt's Consideration.

HOOScNelt y OUsuUtU otbOus
There is no installing the breadth
or depth of the public sentiment In
favor of the general principles briefly
but distinctly outlined by Colonel
ROOSEVELT ut Oyster Bay on Wednes.
day. The development of his ideas
on the subject of II national pro-
grnmme of true Americanism, In re-
lation To his own candidacy for n
third term rs President, Is watched
everywhere with the greatest inter.
est. Candor compels us 10 add that
in many quarters. If not almost every
where. IL Is watched with Il receptive
and sympathetic friendliness of atti-
tudc which Colonel RoosKvELr's po.
litical deliycrunces did not I'm the re-
mote past uniformly command.
New conditions have obscured old
antagonisms. As THE SUN tried to
point out yesterday. some of WOODROW
WILSON'S utterances and perform
ances have made THEODORE RoosE-
VEIL seem by comparison the con>er-
vative. Perhaps ii is even true that the
recollection of Il good deal of BRYAN
and MC.ADoo and JosEpHus DANIELS
and certain other gentlemen of the
encourage in the administrative his
tory of the past three years has
supplied Il background against which
the vivid personality of the Colonel
shows to advantage.
The development of Colonel RoosE-
vELT's ideas Of patriotic duty in the
year 1916 is progressive. His declarn-
lions are proceeding from the general
to the specific with a speed and g r
tainty that embolden III to hope for
the particulars still lacking.
We must remember that it is only
one month tomorrow since the first
authoritative intimation that Colo
mel ltOosEvELT's reluctance Ia par
ticipate officially in public affairs
might yield Ia the call of duty. In
Trinidad on March . he told an in
teryicwer that he did NOT want the
nomination, that he would not per-
nit any fractional fight in his behalf,
and that it would be Il mistake 10
nominate him. 'unless the country
has In its mood something of the
heroic: unless it feels not only devO-
tion 10 ideals but the purpose meas
urubly To realize those ideals in ac-
ton" This conditional acceptance of
q mighty task was accompanied by
a reference Ia the unmanly failure
Of the present Administration
In the interval between Port of
Spain ON March . and Oyster Bay
OH April ; Colonel E~oosEvELT's pro-
grammc of A~mericani>m as II cam
paicn issue became considerably more
definite. At Oyster Bay he energetl-
cally rcVudiaicd the political support
Of any citizen who was not prepared
t. he ''pro-Unlted States, first, last
md all the time. and not pru-anything
else mt all" Every American citi-
zen ne added. must be for America
first. and for no other country even
second. and he hasn't any right 10
he In the United States ut all If he
has any divided loyalty between this
country and any other" Further.
he declared his belief that 1t makes
no difference what is the mans creed
.. itl,,l.., .. tAttll nnt,fin -.
long as he is straight United States"
There must 1" no hyphen about the
true American. The Colonel does
not want Ia he nominated unless his
supporters ARE prepared To take the
position that Uncle SAM is 10 he
strong enough To defend his rights
wherever these people are, and he
can't he strong enough unless he pre-
parcs in advance" Cncle SAM must
never wrong III" weak Colonel
RoosENtIr i not for war. He ahliurs
an unjust war and "would rs" every
e~Xpcdient 10 avoid W n just war
able this country 10 keep the peace
on terms that will enable Americans
to hold their heads high AMI NOT
hang them in shame j. for Uncle
SAM TO he prepared in advance AMI
] mean prepared IN his " soul rs
we'll n with his army and navy, 81
tI,nt nInn ln. SAWS ,IIfhinu tho vrnr1l