Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-06-14
WILSON CHALLENGES
ALL ANTI-AMERICANS
Says: Small But Active Dis
loyal Minority Must Be
Crushed Out

cHdlleCSe 10 lnt ny ypnendteS OF tHls
country to defeat him in the fOrtheom-
ing election.
Standing in the shadow of this great
monument to the first president and
addressing one of the largest crowds
ever assembled at Flag day exercises
here, the president declared that small
but very active body of foreign born
"disloyalists" were attempting a
species of black mail in connection
with the coming election.
"rhere is" he declared( "disloy-
atty ective in the United States. 1t
must be crushed out 1t proceeds not
only from a small minority Of foreign
born citizens but from very active
and subtle minority which works under
ground, but occasionally throws its ugly
head into full view
"These people are now trying to
levy species of political black mail,
declaring do what we want you to do
in the interest of one side in the war or
we shall wreck you at the polls.
Loyalty Is First Test.
"America will teach these people
that loyalty to the flag is the first test.
That is the lesson that l come to re
mind you of and I want to ask you, are
you, yourself, going to see to it that
no man is tolerated who does not honor
the flag7"
The speech of the president in re-
spect to his reference to the disloyal
hyphenates was greeted with prolonged
applause.
eff you could have gone with me
through the few years Just passed. -
said the president, "you would have
realized with me the subtle intrigue and
sedition that have been going on. 4"
The president was introduced by See
retary of state Lansing who referred to
him as Zone whose every thought. word
and deed manifests true Americanism. !"
The president said:
Mr.. Secretary, ladies and gentle
men:
81 have not come here this afternoon
with the puhpose of delivering to YOU
an elaborate address. 1t seems to me
that tine day is sufficiently eloquent
already with the meaning which il
should convey to us. The spectacle
this morning has been very moving
spectacle indeed - an almost unpre-
meditGted outpouring of thousands of
sober citizens to manifest their inter
est in the safety of the country and the
sacredress Of the flag which is its EN-.
blem.
81 need not remind you how much
sentiment has been poured out in honor
of the flag of the United States. Some
times We have been charged with being
vety sentimental people, fond of en-
pressing in general rhetorical phrases
principles not sufficiently defined in ac
tion and I dare say, there have been
times Of happy and careless ease in this
country when all that has been neees.
Sary 20 do for the honor of the flag
was to put our sentiment into poetic
expression the words that for the time
being satisfied our thoughts. But this
is not a day of sentiment. Sentiment
is prOpulsive power but it does not
propel in the way that is servceable to
the nation unless it has definite pur-
pose behind it, This is not merely a
day of sentiment, it is a day of pur-
pose
The Nation Tested
" Apparently this nation is again. and
again and again to be tested and always
tested in the same way. The last SUI
preme test that this nation went
through was the test of the Civil war.
You know now how deep was that test.
q And you know how that end
ed. While it seemed time of terror.
it has turned out a proof of the validity
of our hope-did you not see the blue
and grey mingle this morning on the
proccssion7 Did you not see the sons
of subsequent generation walking
together in happy eomradeshipl
"And yet again the test is applied.
my fellow eountrymen. \ new thought
of division of feeling has sprung up
amongst US.
.' Iou know that we are derived in
our citizenship from every nation in
the world. 1t is not singular that SEN
timent should be disturbed by what is
going on on the other side of the water
but while sentiment may be disturbed
locally ought not to be- l believe that
the vast majority Of these men whose
lineage is largely derived from the ma.
tions at war are Just as loyal to the
flag Of the United States as any native
citizen Of this beloved land, hut there
are some men Of that extraction who
are not, and they not only in past
months but at the present time are do
ing their best to undermine the influ-
ence of the government of the United
States in the interest Of matters which
are foreign TO us and which are not
derived from the questions of our own
politics
% There is disloyalty active in the
United States and it must be absolutely
crushed. 1t proceeds from a minority,
but very active and subtle minority.
1t works under ground, but it also
shows its ugly head where we can see
it and there are those at this moment
who are trying to levy a species of
political black mail, saying do what
we visa in the interest of foreign senti-
ment or we win wreak our vengeance
at th' polls That is the sort Of thing
against which the American nation will
turn with 4 might and triumph of senti-
ment which will teach those gentlemen
once for all that loyalty to this flag
is the irst test of tolerance in the
United States.
"That is the lesson that I have come
to remind YOU Of on this doy--no mere
sentiment" "