New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-06
Ready to Fight When
Assured Cause
Is Just.
MAKES PEACE
HIS BIG ISSUE
His Policies Cheered by
Great Crowds in
Nebraska.

From sisr Correspondent Of The Tribune
Omaha, Neb., Oct. 5.-President Will
son made peace the issue of his cam
paign here to-day. In his speech be-
fore 1000 persons who packed the Au-
ditorium he defended Americas atti-
tude and declared that the nation was
ready to fight, but needed first a cause
worth fighting for.
The Presidents words came as the
climax of a remarkable pacificist dem
onstration. In the course of the day
100000 voices Justify. approved his
course. Along the route of the Presi-
dents automobile, both in the after
noon, when he reviewed historical pa
geant, and at night, the peace senti-
ment was predominant.
Everywhere on the streets were heard
cries of "He kept us out Of war;
There he goes, God bless him." and
"Who saved the nation?" answered
with shouts Of "Wilson!" At the even
ing meeting the scene, if anything, was
even more remarkable. There was al
most hysteria in the air as the thou
sands in the balconies and on the floor
cheered every reference of the Presi.
dent to peace. Repeatedly they refused
to allow him to go on, but insisted on
injecting "Three cheers for wilson,
and "Hurrah for the peacemaker!"
Wilson Seizes Opportunity.
As President and Mrs. Wilson en-
tered the auditorium tonight the scene
resembled that at a great political ral-
". The meeting was called nonparti-
san, and was supposed to be part of
the anniversary Of Nebraska's semi
centennial, but no more effective set
ting for Democratic convention could
be devised. The President was quick
TO sense the opportunity, and he re-
sponded to it fully. Using the early
history Of Nebraska as his text, he
quickly came to the subject of war, and
amid constant cheering declared:
There is as much fight in Amer
lea as in any nation in the world.
"We want always to hold the force
Of America to fight for the rights OF
mankind, not for the rights of prop
erty. But in fighting for these things
we should know what the touch
stone is. We must have absolute al
legiance to America. We must be
truly American. The rights of hu-
manity are the essence of freedom.
Must Have United Nation.
"We had a programme for America
in respect OF its domestic life and We
shall not forget that programme, but
we have never yet sufficiently formu-
lated our programme for America with
regard to the part she is going to play
in the world, and 1t is imperative that
she should formulate it at once. But
in order to carry out programme you
must have unihcation of spirit and
purpose in America which no influence
can invade.
at will take the long inquiry Of his
tory to explain this war. But Europe
ought not to misunderstood us. We
are holding off, not because we do not
feel concerned, but because when we
exert the force of this nation we want
to know what we are exerting 1t for.
"You know that we have always re-
membered and revered the advice OF
the great Washington. who advised us
to avoid foreign entanglements. By
that | understand him to mean avoid
being entangled in the ambitions and
the national purposes of other nations.
Ii does not mean-if | may be permitted
70 venture an Interpretation of the
meaning of that great man-it does not
mean that we are to avoid the en-
tanglcments of the world, for We are
part of the world and nothing that
concerns the whole world can be in
different to US.
Ready to Fight for Mankind.
1--WE want always to hold the force Of
America to fight for what? Not merely
Continued on page q, column