The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-05-30

kinu Is catllf turned INTO act
warned in another passage.
This il one OF the great years OF
decision Ia our national history.
THE way IN which We nov de-
eide will largely determine wheth-
err we arc TO 10 forward In right
eousness and power or backward
In degradation and weakness.
We arc face TO facs with Gle
mental facts OF right and wrong.
OF force or fecbleneHs.
According 10 tho spirit in which
We face these facts and govern our
actions. we shall determine wheth.
sr In the future was shall enjoy a
growing national life or suffer q
lingering national decay.
Warns Of False Prophets
First and foremost. friends, !
ask you 20 beware of the false
prophets, both the prophets Of aor
did matcrialism and OF tina, ally
sen'imentaiism which refuses 10
look thru this In the face OF truths
which ara unpleasant"
Tho colonel scornfuliy referred
20 persons who two years AFRO
maintained that a great war was
impossible. and said II was 10 be
expected. after tho present war.
their shrill pipings" would again
rise.
He held America might be AZ.
tackled after the war by one o, the
nations fully prepared: or tempo
rary exhaustion might lead any one
OF them falsely TO proclaim they
were peaceful and harmless"
Our Duty 70 Be Ready
In any event. he asserted. n was
Americas paramount duty 10 be
ready.
The former president bitterly as
sailed the administraton's Mexi-
can policy. and particularly the
stripping OF coast artillery sortifi.
cations TO obtain infantrymen for
the invading forces.
when this war 10 over he said.
II n possible that some one OF the
being fully armed. will
asaail us because we offer our
selves a. q rich and helpless prize.
"On tho other hand. Il is also
possible that thcre will be tempo
rary exhaustion among tho combat.
ants. and a willingness. even with
the present mow brutal and ruth.
less slaughter. TO 70 thru the form
Of saying that they are peaceful
and harmless.
Cannot Accept Peace Pledge
In such event. there will be real |
danger lest our people be influenc-
ed by tho foolish apostles OF I'M
preparedness 10 accept this condi. |
ton as paramount. and once more
shirk our duty OF getting ready"
Il believe" no said. in intcrns-
tional duty.
Il hold that we cannot assert
that We are entirely Ruiltiess OF |
responsibility for the outragcs com. |
mitted on well-behaved nations.
on Belgium. on non. |
particularly women
and children. during the present |
war.
Prior 10 tho war. we had be- |
come parties to the various con.
veniions and treaties designed 20 |
mitigate the horrors OF war and TO |
limit the offenses that can. with |
lmpunity. be committed by bellig. |
erents, either on noutrals or non.
Occupy Mean Position
When we declined to take any
action under these conventions and |
treaties, we regarded them as
scraps OF paper
Such being the case, willis our
guilt IL not as great as that OF the
strong and ruthless nations who
the misdeeds, we never.
theless occupy in some respects an
even meaner position. for we pos.
sess strength. eGd we refuse 10 use
Il for righteousness.
"Wo possess strength. vet we
decline TO put II behind our plight.
ed word when the interests and |
honor OF others are involved
performance or International
duty means that In international
affairs In the commonwealth of
nations we shall not only refrain
from wronging the weak. but ac-
cording to our capacity. and as op-
portunity offers. stand up for the
weak when the weak are wronged
by the strong.
Most emphatically II does not
mean that we shall submit TO
wrongdoing by other nations.
ITO do so is proof of weakness.
not virtue, and OF mean and alb
iect national spirit"
Urges Universal TRAINING
The former president said the
transportation OF troops from Rus.
sia TO France and from Australia 10
illustrated the fallacy OF
ne claim that the ocean was pre-.
1arndneHa fnQurauoo CO.. Al. tf.lx |