Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-02

America is called on to do because
there is hardly day goes by that
some bit of news does not bear to my
| office some kind of appeal There is
hardly week goes by but that some
ecutive office in Washington bearing
some kind of protest, some kind OF
request, some kind of urgent message,
looking toward interference in the in
terests of peace. Why, l have talked.
with earnest men and women. not of
our own citizenship. but come out of
who pleaded with me to put the moral
force of the government of the United
States into the one or the other OF the
European scales, so as to see that this
peaceful conclusion. America is looked
upon to sit in sort of moral judy
ment upon the processes of war; and
the processes of what a war! Tho
world. my fellow-citizens. never wit
messed a struggle like this before. Do
you know that there is not single
America that has not been touched by
the flame OF this terrible conf1agrat ton?
Do you know that there is not single
country in the world. not even except
ing our own, into which these influences
of this tremendous struggle have not
been thrust by way OF political in
fiuence and effect? The whole world is
tremulous with the influence of pas
the only great disengaged nation is
this nation, which we love and whose
interests we would conserve.
What Is Expected of America.
What is America expected to do? She
is expected to do nothing less than
keep law alive while the rest Of the world
burns. You know that there is no in
ternational tribunal, my fellow citizens.
1 pray God that if this contest have no
other reason 1t will at least have the
result of creating an international
tribunal and producing some sort of
joint guarantee of peace on the part
of great nations of the world. But it
has no. yet done that, and the only
thing. therefore. that keeps America
out Of danger is that to some degree
the understandings, the ancient and
honorable understandings Of nations
with regard to their relations with one
another and to the citizens Of one an
other are to some extent still observed
and followed. And whenever there Is a
departure from them the United States
is called upon to intervene. to speak its
voice Of protest, to speak Its voice of
insistence.
DO you want 1t to be only a voice
OF lnSlStenCe. DO you want inc SlIud-
ton to be such that all that the Presi-
dent can do is to write messages; to
utter words of protest? If these
breaches of international law, which
are In daily danger Of occurring, should
honor of the United states. do you wish
to do nothing about It? Do you wish
to have all the world say that the flag
Of the United States. which we love.
can be stained with impunity? Why,
% L. t1A to %
know that there Is not a man or a
woman in the hearing of my voice who
would wish peace at the expense of the
honor Of the United States. said
just now that an unmistakable voice
had come to my ears from out the
great body Of this nation saying We
depend upon you to keep us out of war,
but that same voice added always this
sentence also, But we depend upon you
to maintain unsullied and unquestion-
ed the honor and integrity of the United
States; and many a night. when 1t has
seemed impossible for me to sleep be-
cause Of the thought of the apparently
inextricable difficulties into which our
international relations were drifting,
have said to myself, I wonder II the
people Of the United States fully real
lie what that mandate means to me?'
And then sleep has come. because
have known. as I have known in my
own mind, and in my own heart, that
there was not a community in America
that would not stand behind me in
maintaining the honor Of the United
States.
How to Meet the Call.
But, my fellow-cdtizens, you may be
called upon any day to stand behind me
to maintain the honor Of the United
States. and how are you going to do it?
There are two ways Of doing It. One is
the careless. easy-going. wasteful way in
which we have done these things hither-
to. You say, There are plenty Of fight
ing men in the United States there are
unexhausted and inexhaustible material
resources in the United States; nobody
vantage for little while Yes. there
are plenty Of fighting men in the United
States, but do they know how modern
war ts conducted? Do they know how to
guard themselves against disease In the
camp? Do they know what the discipline
OF organization is? Shall we send the
whole body of these men who first volun-
teer to be butchered because they did
not know how to make themselves i'm
mediately ready for the battlefield and
the trench; because they did not know
anything about the terrible vicissitudes
and discipline Of modern battle? Why,
war has been transformed almost within
the memory Of men. The mere muster
70 - 'Nh'cciS Is iiOt war. were DOQle6
OF men are not an army. and we have
neither the men nor the equipment for
the men when they are called out. 1t
Wouio take time to make an army of
them-perhaps a fatal length of time
ana II would take a long time to provide
them with the absolute necessities Of war
rare. America Is not going to sacrifice
her youth after that fashion.
Must Know What War Means.
| America is going to prepare for wal
by preparing citizens who know what
war means and how war can be con-
Quoted. 1t is going to increase Its
standing army up to the point Of eff
cheney for the present uses for which
1t is needed: and II is going to put back
| or that army great body of peaceful
men. following their daily pursuits
knowing that their own happiness and
the happiness of everybody they love
| depends upon peace. who nevertheless
at the call of their country will know
now Immediately to make themselves
/ into an AMY and to come out and face
an enemy In fashion which will show
that America can neither be daunted
! nor taken by surprise
L spoke Just now OF equipment.
know that there is q very general i'm
preston that influences are at work In
this country whose impulse does not
| come from thoughtful conviction OF
/ a very thoughtful prospect Of profit.
! have heard the preposterous statement
made that the agitation for preparation
| for national defense has come from the
| men who make armor plate for the
ships and munitions for the army.