The Washington herald., 1916-05-28

"a virtual guarantee of territorial intreg-
tty and political independence"
"only to Apow Creed"
But" added the President in his con-
cluding remarks, ''I did not come here.
let me repeat, to discuss a program. l
came here only to avow creed and give
expression to the confidence 1 feel that
the world Is even now upon the eve of
great consummation. when some common
force will be brought into existence
which shall safeguard right as the first
and most fundamental interest OF all peo-
Piles and all governments, when coercion
shall be summoned not to the service OF
political ambition or selfish hostility. but
TO the service of a common order, COM
mon justice and common peace. God
grant that the dawn OF that day of frank
dealing and OF settled peace, concord and
cooperation may be near at hand"'
Marking as it does a radical change in
the traditional policy OF aloofness which
the United States has adopted toward the
nations Of Europe in respect to EN-
tangling alliances his proposal that the
United states should be a partner in this
projected league of nations was inter-
preted by his hearers to mean that the
United States would stand ready for the
future to throw all the weight OF its
force, physical as well as moral. behind
common effort to maintain peace.
That the speech will create widespread
discussion in the European war capitals
Is regarded as certain, taking place as II
will with the recent utterances of Won
Bethmsn-Hollweg, of Germany; President
, Poincaire, Of France, and Earl Grey ana
Premier Asquith. Of Great Britain.
Text of speech.
The complete test Of the Presidents ad-
dress follows:
When the invitation to be here tonight
came to me. I was glad to accept it
not because 1t offered me an opportunity
TO discuss the program Of the league
that you will, am sure, not expect OF
me-but because the desire Of the whole
world now turns eagerly, more and more
eagerly. towards the hope of peace, and
there is Just reason why we should take
our part in counsel upon this great
theme 1t Is right that I, as spokesman
of our government, should attempt to
give expression to what I believe to be
the thought and purpose of the people
Of the United States in this vital matter.
This great war that broke so suddenly
upon the world two years ago. and which
has swept within its fame so great a
part Of the civilized world, has affected
US very profoundly. and We are not only
at liberty. it is perhaps our duty. to
speak very frankly of it and of the great
interests Of civilization which it affects.
L. :. Deeply Concerned"
With its causes and its objects We are
not concerned. The obscure fountains
from which its stupendous flood has burst
forth we are not interested to search for
or explore. But so great a food, spread
far and wide to every quarter of the
globe, has OF necessity engulfed many a
fair province of right that lies very near
to US. Our own rights as a nation. the
liberties, the privileges and the poverty
of our people have been profoundly af-
'fected. We are not mere disconnected
lOokers-on-. The longer the war lasts, the
more deeply do we become concerned
that II should be brought to an end and
the world be permitted to resume its nor
NAL life and course again. And when II
does come to an end We shall be as much
concerned the nations at war TO see
peace assume an aspect OF permanence
give promise Of days from which the
anxiety OF uncertainty shall be lifted,
bring some assurance that peace and war
shall always hereafter be reckoned part
OF the common interest Of mankind. We
, are participants. whether ve would or
not. in the life of the world. The inter-
ests OF all nations are our own also. We
are partners with the rest. What affects
mankind is inevita bly, our affair as we'll
the affair Of the nations of Europe
and Asia.
One observation on the causes of the
present war We are At liberty to make.
and to make it may throw some light
forward upon the future as we'll as
backward upon the past 1t is plain that
this war could have come only as II did,
suddenly and out OF secret Counsels
without warning to the world. without
discussion, without any of the deliberate
movements Of counsel with which it would
seem natural to approach so stupendous
been toreseen just what would happen,
just what alliances would be formed.
Just what forces arrayed against one an
other, those who brought the great con-
test on would have been glad to substitute
conference for force. II we ourselves
had been afforded some opportunity to
apprise the belligerents of the attitude
which il would be our duty to take, Of
the policies and practices against which
We would feel bound to use all our moral
and economic strength, and in certain
circumstances even eur physical strength
also, our own contribution to the coun-
sci which might have averted the strug-
gle would have been considered worth
Weighing and regarding.
New Diplomacy vital.
And the lesson which the shock Of be-
ing taken by surprise in a matter so
deeply vital to all the nations Of the
world has made poignantly clear is. that
the peace of the world must henceforth
depend upon a new and more wholesome
diplomacy. Only when the great nations
OF the world have reached some sort Of
agreement as to what they hold to be
fundamental to their common interest,
and al to some feasible method Of act
ing in concert when any nation or group
Of nations seeks to disturb those funda-
mental things, can we feel that civiliza-
ton is at last in way OF justifying its
existence and claiming to be finally es-
tablished. 1t Is clear that nations must
In the future be governed by the same
high code Of honor that we demand Of
individuals.
We must, indeed in the very same
breath with which we avow this convic-
sion admit that we have ourselves upon
occasion in the past been offenders
against the law of diplomacy which we
thus forecast, but our conviction is not
the less clear, but rather the more clear
on that account. If this war has ac-
complished nothing else for the benefit
of the world, 1t has at least disclosed
great moral necessity and set forward
the thinking of the statesmen of the
world by a whole age. Repeated utter
ances Of the leading statesmen of most
Of the great nations now engaged IN war