South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-07-01
WILSON HOPES
TO PREVENT WAR
Administration Leaders Agree
to Put Proposition Up
TO Whole Body.

NEW YORK. July 1.-Pres't
Wilson made it plain in his speech
at the New York press club banquet
Friday night that he will not counte-
I nance a war with Mexico. until there
is no other alternative for settling
the border troubles.
Again he declared that he was
ready 10 sacrifice his own political
! fortunes in order TO carry out his
convictions as 10 what would be the
/ just course 10 pursue in the situa-
/ ton.
The presidents audience. compos-
ed Of newspapermen. state and po-
/ litical leaders and other prominent
in public. signified their endorsement
| of his position by repeated outbursts
| Of applause When he asked If the
glory Of America would be enhanced
| by a war of conquest in Mexico.
shouts Of No" came from all parts
of the banquet hall. A similar re-
Spouse was made to his query
whether it is Americas duty to car
~ self defense 10 the point of die
tation into the affairs of another
people
The president dwelt also In his eff
| forts TO serve the whole people.
! thousands Of who. ne said, are ap-
pealing to him TO maintain peace as
long as possible.
Serves Rank and File.
Il have constantly 10 remind my
| self" he said, that I am not the
! servant TO those who wish to en-
nance the value OF their Mexican in
vestments. but that ] am the servant
of the rank and file Of the people
Of the United States"
cambridge Colby, who placed
Theodore Roosevelt in nomination
! for the presidency at the progress
sive convention at Chicago, paid
Prest Wilson high tribute in an ad-
dress. but did not declare unquali-
| fedly that he would support him in
the coming campaign. as it was re-
ported he would do.
In his address, Pres't Wilson said:
"Of course il is the duty OF the
government, which IL will never
overlook. to defend the territory and
people of this country. II goes with
out saying that ii is the duty of the
administration TO have constantly in
mind with the utmost sensitiveness
every point Of national honor.
But, gentlemen. after you have
said and accepted these obvious
/ things. your program of action is
still TO be formed. When will you
act, and how will you act?
Is Easy to Strike.
THE easiest thing is to strike
The brutal thing is the impulsive
thing No man has to think before
| he takes aggressive action. but be-
| fore man really conserves the
honor by realizing the ideals Of the
nation. he has to think exactly what
he will do and how he Will do it.
! And I want you TO know how
| fully / realize whose servant I am.
I do not own the government of the
! UEltca States. even for the time be-
| ing. I have no right in the use Of
it to express my own passions. I
J have no right to express my own
ambitions for the development Of
| America if those ambitions are not
| coincident with the ambitions of the
/ nation itself.
And | have constantly to remind
! myself that I am not the servant Of
! those who wish TO enhance the value
of their Mexican investments. that
am the servant Of the rank and file
| of the people of the United States.
Il get a great many letters, my
| fellow citizens. from important and
| influential men in this country, but
I get a great many other letters. |
get letters from unknown men, from
humble women, from people whose
names have never been heard and
never will be recorded. and there is
nut one prayer in all of these letters:
Mr.. President. do not allow any
body to persuade you that the peo-
pie of this country want war with
anybody
Keep Out of Mexico.
Il got off a train yesterday, and
as was bidding goodbye TO the en-
gineer. ne said in an undertone, Mr..
President. keep out of Mexico. And
II one man mas SAID Inal 10 me, a
thousand have said it TO me as 1
have moved about the country.
IF l have opportunity To engage
them further in conversation they
say. of course. we know that you
cannot govern the circumstances of
the case altogether and it may be
! necessary, but for Gods sake. do not
do Il unless IL is necessary
Il am for the time being the
| spokesman Of such people. gentle
men. I have not read history with
out observing that the greatest
! forces in the world and the only per-
manent forces are the moral forces.
We have the evidence of a very
competent witness, namely the first
/ Napoleon. who said that as he look
/ ed back in the last days OF his life
upon so much as he knew of human
| history. ne had 10 record the judg-
ment that force had never accom-
pHshed anything that was perma-
nent"
In closing he said