The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-04-20
WAR FOR HUMANITY ONLY.
PRESIDENT WILSON SAYS THAT
THE ONLY EXCUSE AMERI-
CANS CAN EVER HAVE.

CANS CAN EVER HAVE.
WASHINGTON, d. c., April H.
President Wilson in an address wei
coming the Daughters of the Ameri
can Revolution gathered here toda.
for their annual congress, declared
that the only excuse America eve
can have for the assertion of hel
physical force that she asserts i
in behalf of humanity. He wa!
speaking of the purpose of the repub
lic-born to serve the rest of thu
world just as much as itself-anC
had just said that the nation viii
have forgotten her traditions when
ever she fights merely for hersel1
under such circumstances as viii
show she has forgotten to fight fol
all mankind.
Presidents Address.
The President was enthusiastically
applauded. When he was introduced
lby Mrs. William Cumming Story
president-general of the organization
the audience stood and cheered, and
many of the women waved American
flags. He said:
Il have told you upon more than
one occasion of the sentiments
which are chiefly stirred in me by
looking upon a company like this.
was thinking today that if this or
ganization had been formed in the
very early years of our republic, it
would have been looked upon with
good deal of disfavor, because you
would then have been suspected of
setting up some sort of aristocratic
class.
"You will remember that that sort
of criticism was stirred by the foun-
dation of the Society of the Cincin-
natl. 1t was supposed that they
were setting up an organization
which, because it's membership was
handed or primogeniture, was an or
ganization entirely contrary to the
spirit of American institutions. But
a very interesting thing has hap
pened. The proportion of those who
can derive their lineage from Off
GERS who took part in the American
revolution is a constantly decreasing
proportion. You cannot be suspected
of trying to build up an organization
which you have formed this organi-
zation was from the first manifest.
"It was not spirit of caste or of
privilege, but spirit of reverence for
a great tradition, and for my part
believe that the chief service of a
great organization like this is to
keep q certain beautiful sentiment
rrif in 40 c
of the American people.
Tradition is a handsome thing in
proportion as we live up to it. If we
fall away from the tradition of the
fathers, we have changed our char
acter; we have lost an old impulse;
we have become unconscious of the
principles in which the life of the
nation itself is rooted and grounded.
Therefore, this organization un-
dertook to keep those who feel under
it's influence constantly reminded of
this nation and of the significance of
the birth of this nation. That signi-
flcance was very singular signifi
cance. No other nation was ever
born into the world with the pur-
pose of serving the rest of the world
just as much as it served itself.
Nations Purpose.
"The purpose of this nation was in
one sense to afford an asylum to men
of all classes and kinds who desired
to be free and to take part in the
administration of self-governed
commonwealth. 1t was founded in
order that men of every sort should
have proof given that common
wealth of that sort was practicable,
not only, but could win its standing
of distinction and power among the
nations of the world. and America
will have forgotten her traditions
whenever upon any occasion she
fights merely for herself under such
circumstances as will show that she
has forgotten to fight for all man
kind. And the only excuse that
America can ever have for the as
sertion of her physical force is that
she asserts it in behalf of the inter
ests of humanity.
what a splendid thing it is to
have so singular a tradition--a tradi-
ton of unselfishness. When America
ceases to be unselfish, she will cease
to be America. When she forgets
the traditions of devotion to human
rights in general which gave spirit
and impulse to her founders, she will
have lost her little deeds to her own
nationality.
While the President was speaking
Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Lansing, wife
of the secretary of state, sat in box
near the stage.
An effort to have the congress vir-
tually abandon it's program for a ma
tional preparedness meeting Wednes
day night enlivening the opening ses
sion. Mrs. Walter Reed, of California
sought to make sweeping changes ir
the program, contending that it die
not represent the desires of delegate:
holding opposing views on the pre-
paredness question. Mrs. Story, tht
president general, vigorously opposed
the suggestion and on vote thu
program was Overwhelmingly ap
proved as it stood.
Several thousand daughters ant
their friends thronged Memorial hal
tonight for the president-general'
: annual reception.