The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-01

sQN~ York. July Before the members of the New York Press club, kk their; forty-fourth annual dinner at .he waldorf last night, President Will |6n laid his cards on the table and lated succinctly but forcefully why kis course with regard to Mexico has Seen what 1t has -
 ssDo you think the glory of America would be enhanced by war Of con- luest in Mexico ?' asked the President oberly and earnestly.
 And had there been any doubt in he mind of Mr. Wilson as to whether bis course would meet with popular pprovAl, it must have been instantly {epelled, for as one man the six or Even hundred diners shouted:
 HNo!"
 The tenor of the Presidents speech F1s peaceful No lasting thing had ver been created by war, he asserted
 E the moral force alone that builds p. This country is not for war, in is opinion. he told his hearers, and llig-he knows from the letters and he Statements that come to him. So, ec3hse he holds himself the servant f tAe people, and not the master nor he tovernment of the United States, he cares not for his. personal fortunes, but is willing ..to play for the verdict 6f mankind"
 esPersonally," said the President, 11t is of no consequence to me what Inc verdict is on Nov. T, providing I m confident that when later jury its I shall get their verdict in my hvor.'
 At the outset the President told the Newspaper men that in their presence ne was tempted to throw off his guard Ind reveal himself as the fallible- hu- han being that he says he is It was )n this spirit that he spoke through <Dut, and the diners received his speech n the spirit of comradeship and kheered him again and again. E The Presidents speech in full, was 3(s follows:
 E Absmbcd by ResponsibilitieA
 II realize that have done a very Mmprudent thing have come to ad-
 ress this thoughtful company of men &0tthout any preparation whatever If
 could have written as witty speech Bs Mr. Pulitzer, would have written k- If could have written as clear a mennft4Gn' of the fundamenta1 ideAls of
 merican; patri0tis1n as the mayor, I hould have attempted it If should have been as appealing a person and " as feeling heart as MT Cobb, n Would have felt safe If I could have lbeen as generous and interesting and Eenuine as MrkColby, I should have Left that could let myself go without kny preparation is(
 .sBut, gentlemen, as a matter of fact.
 have been absorbed by the respon- Abilities which have been so ire
 uently referred to here tonight and That preoccupation has made it impos- Able for me to enforce even what xgou would like to hear me talk about
 "There is something very oddly con- 34fadictory about the effect you men {have on me. You are sometimes, par ISticularly in your photographic enter sprises, very brutal to me Your some :ktmes invade my privacy, even to the &xtent of forming my judgments be- More they are formed, and yet I am Exempted when I stand face to face 'Nvfth you to take off all guard and ;merely expose myself to you as the HalIible human being that I ann Preparedness Beyond Debate. MI. Colby said something that wa. among the few things I had forecas }to aay myself He said that there art { tccrtair things which really it. is use 31ess to debate, because they go al 5a matter of course. / Of course it fl eur duty. to prepare this. Nation t. 7, lake care of its honor and of it's in +X..s 0 that except the detail, except th' ' plan itself, which is always debata X ble.
 {. "Cf course it is the duty of the gov mnment, which it will never over , look, to defend the territory and peo p1e of this country. It goes withou ,, saying that it is the duty of the Ad 7 ninistration to have constantly Il 4 mind with the utmost sensitivenes V every point of national honor. But ( Gentlemen, after you have said ant < accepted these obvious things, you program of action is still to be form ed ..-.,:
 when will you act and how vii you act?
 ~The easiest thing Is to strike. Tn brutal thing is the innpulsive thing No man has to think before he take ~ aggressive action, but before a maj really conserves the honor by realiz ing the ideals of the Nation. he has t think exactly what he win do an how he will do 1t.
 Glory in Conquest.
 "Do you think the glory of Ameri ca would be enhanced by. a war o conquest in Mexico? { Do you thin that any a4t of violence by a powerful nation like this against a weak an distracted neighbor would reflect dis ttnction upon the annals of the Unite States? Dc you think that it is ou z duty to carry self-defense to the poin x people? The ideals of America ar written plain upon every page o American history.
 And want you to know how full realize whose servant I am. I d not own the government of the Unit ed States, even for the time being. have no right in the use of it to ex press my own passions. I have n right to express my own ambitions fo che developments of America if ttos ambitions are not coincident with tn ambitions of the nation itself.
 ""And have constantly to remin myself that I am not the servant c those who wish to enhance the valu of their Mexican investments, but tha N nm the servant of the rank and fl If the people of the United States.
 'sE get a great many letters, my fel