New-York tribune., 1916-02-28
WILSON FOR WAR
ONLY FOR RIGHT
Declares America Should
Sacrifice All but JUS
tiCe for Peace.

Washington. Feb. 27.-America should
keep out of the war at the sacrifice OF
everything except her sense Of human
ity and justice, President Wilson de-
clared at the Gridiron Club dinner last
night, addressing not only the large
assembly of newspaper men but scores
of Democratic and Republican Congress
sional leaders, diplomats and prominent
men from all over the country.
The President held up TO scorr both
the defamation and the cloakroom
conferences of members of Congress.
saying that he would vastly prefer TO
know "what they are talking about
around quiet iiresides all over this
country than what they are ticking
about in the cloakrooms OF Congress.
Incidentally the President substi-
tuted more elaborate though. for
"too proud to fight" whicf .hc Admin
lstration is trying TO forget. The new
thought was: II would be just as
much ashamed 70 be rasn as | would 10
he coward Valor is self-respccting.
Valor is circumspect. Nalor strikes
only when it is right TO strike. Nalor
withholds itself from all small impli-
cations and entanglements and waits
for the great opportunity. when the
sword will fash as if it carried the
light of heaven upon its blade
"Senator Harding was saying Just
now" President Wilson remarked later,
that we ought TO try when We are
a hundred million strong to act in the
same simplicity of principle that our
forefathers acted in when we were
three million strong | heard somebody
say that the present population OF the
United States is l03 100000. IL there
are three million thinking the same
things that that original three million
thought the hundred million VIII pc
saved for an illustrious future. lhey
were ready TO stake everything Tor an
idea. and that idea was not eApe-
diency, but justice. -.
"And the infinite difficulty OF public
affairs. gentlemen. IS not 10 discover
the signs of the heaven and the d.
rections of the wind, but 10 square the
things you do by the not simple but
complicated standards of justice. JUS
tice has nothing to do with eXpediency'
Justice has nothing to do with any
temporary standard whatever. II IS
mental instincts of humanity.
America ought to keep out OF this
war. She ought 10 keep out OF this
war az the sacrifice Of everything eN-
cent this single thing upon which her
character and history are founded
her sense of humanity and justice. II
she sacrifices that. she has ceased TO be
America: she has ceased 10 entertain
and 20 love the traditions which have
made us proud 70 be Americans. Ana
rhen We 20 about seeking safety at
tho expense of humanity, then !, Tor
one will believe that ! have always
heen mistaken in what | have con
ceiyed 20 be the spirit OF American
history. .,
"There is no question what the roll
of honor in America is. The roll OF
honor consists Of the names Of men
vho have squared their conduct by
ideals of duty. There is 10 one else
upon the roster; there Is no one else
those name we care TO remember wher
we measure things upon national
scale. And ! wish that whenever an
impulse Of impatience comes upon US.
whenever an impulse 10 settle thing
some short way tempts US, we might
close the door and take down some old
stories of what American ideallsts and
statesmen did in the past, and not let
any counsel in that does not sound in
the authentic voice of American tradi-
ton. Then We shall be certain what
the lines of the future are. because ve
shall know we are steering By the lines
OF the past. We shall know that 10
temporary convenience, no temporary
expediency, will lead US either to De
rash or to be cowardly."