Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-12

world and to act on those facts of the world
and to act on those facts with restraint. with
reasonableness, without any kind Of misleading
excitement, and yet with energy, and all that
! am maintaining is this that must take
such steps as are necessary for our own safety
az against the imposition of the standards OF
the rest of the world upon ourselves.
1--WE have undertaken very much more than
the safety Of the United States; have I'M
dertakcn to keep what we regard as democrat
izng and hurtful European influences out of
this hemisphere and that means that If the
world undertakes, as We all hope ii will under
take. joint effort to keep the peace, it will
expect us TO play proportional part in mani
Testing the force which is going to rest back
Of that. In the last analysis the peace of
society is obtained by force and when action
cOmes-it comes by opinion, but back of opinion
il the ultimate application Of force. The greater
body Of opinion says to the lesser body of
opinion. we may he wrong, but you have to
live under our direction for the time being,
until you more numerous than we are That
is what l understand il amounts to.
Now. let us suppose that we have formed
family of nations, and that family of ma
lions says. the world is not going to have
any more wars of this sort without at least
first going through certain processes to show
whether there is anything in its not.
PROGRAM NOT ALTERED.
IF you say. we shall not have any war,
You have got to have the force to make that
America takes part in this thing, will have the
right to expect from her that she contributes
her element of force to the general understand
That is a very practical ideal
Miss Wald asked IL this logically would vol
lead TO limitless expansion of Americas con-
trihutiOn. Tho president replied:
We'll. logically. Miss Valid. but have not
the least regard for logic. What 7 mean to
say IS ] think in such affairs now
discussing the circumstances are the logic. .
Now, quite opposite TO anything YOU fear,
believe that il the world ever comes to COM
neace the individual contributions of each ma
tinn will be much less. necessarily, than they
would be in other circumstances; and that all
n ev will have TO do will be to contribute moder-
ately AMI not indefinitely
Miss wald remarked that the navy seemed
committed to a policy OF huge increase.
'Just let me say there that there really
has not been any material change" the presi-
dent said. THE only difference is this: We
have Leen going on from year to year making
certain additions determined upon that year. all
along looking forward to series Of years.
Now all that we have done is to evolve the
rest Of the program IL is not altered TO any
extent
When Miss Valid said there obviously was
ap attempt to stampede the country. Mr.. Wilson
replied that IL was not working. As the inter
view neared a close one OF the members OF the
committee asked whether the president believed
in compulsory military service.
81 did not say ! believed in 1t. To use the
phrase of a friend of mine, my mini is TO let
on the subject. would say merely that that
was not contrary to American tradition"
mir. President" continued the questionec,
I'VE are potentially aggressive, because our
economic organizations are more active. more
powerful, in reaching out and grasping for the
national CORPORATION is one OF the great trade
factors Of modern history; and it TO me
that if you hitch up this tremendous aggres
Sive grabbing for the trade of the world, with o
tendency TO back up that trade, there is going
70 be produced an aggressive nationalism in
trade
placed upon IL by some international arrange
ment which We hope for replied the presl'
dent.