Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-02-04

carrying AlS pIOSIdm VI pIcpdTcU
ness direct to the people, President
Woodrow Wilson delivered a series
Of speeches in various cities of the
Middle West the latter part Of last
week and the fore part of this,
speeches in which, speaking as he
said "solemnly," he warned the ma
ton that the time may come when
he cannot keep the United States out
OF war and maintain its honor, and
declared that the nation must be pre-
pared to defend itself and be pre-
pared at once.
LET me tell you very solemnly,
you cannot afford to postpone this
thing" he told some 1000 persons
who heard him Saturday night in
Cleveland, Ohio. II do not know
what the next day will bring. I do
not mean to point to any particular
danger. I merely tell you we are
daily treading amongst intricate
dangers. We are being swept along
by things not of our making and over
which we have no control. No man
in the United States knows what a
single week, a single day, a single
hour may bring forth.
"You may count on me to keep
you out of war;" he added pointedly,
''but you must help me in maintain
ing the honor OF the nation"
Sincerity Impresses Audiences.
This series of speeches has been
the most stirring the president has
delivered during his official career,
and the evident sincerity, earnest
ness and solemnity with which he
clothed his statements were singu-
larly impressive. In all of his speech
es he emphasized the possibility that
the United States may be drawn into
the European struggle as the reason
why he believes the navy and army
should be strengthened without de-
lay; in all Of the cities in which he
spoke he was greeted with large
crowds and great enthusiasm, and
his demands as to preparedness re-
ceived warm responses from his au-
diences.
Again and again in his different
speeches he spoke of the nations
honor. In his Cleveland address he
declared the real man believes his
honor is dearer than his life, and a
nations honor dearer than its peace
and comfort. 1t had been diflcult,
he said, to keep the United States
out of the war. adding, II hope you
will bear me out in saying have
proved that am a partisan Of
peace"
America is not afraid of any,
body" he said. II know I reflect
your feeling and the feeling Of all Of
our citizens when say that the only
thing I am afraid Of is not being
ready to perform my duty. am
afraid Of the danger Of shame. am
afraid of the danger of inadequacy;
! am afraid Of the danger Of not
being able to express the correct
character Of this country with tre-
mendous might and effectiveness
whenever we are called upon to act
in the field Of the worlds affairs.
II would be ashamed to be bellig-
erent and impatient when the for
tunes of my whole country and the
happiness of all MY fellow country
men were involved. But know that
peace is not always within the choice
of the nation. and I want to remind
and remind you very solemnly-of
the double obligation you have laid
upon me. know you have laid 1t
upon me. because am constantly re-
minded of it in conversation, by let
ter, in editorial, by means of every
voice that writes me out Of the body
OF the nation. You have laid upon
me this double obligation: We are
relying upon you, Mr.. President. to
keep US out of this war. but we are
relying upon you, Mr.. President, to
keep the honor Of the nation un-
stained
May BE Unable to Do Both.
DO you not see that a time may
come when it is impossible to do both
OF these things? Do you not see that
II am to guard the honor Of the
nation, I am not protecting it against
itself, for we are not going to do any
thing to stain the honor of our own
country? am protecting it against
things that I cannot control-the ac-
tion Of others. And where the ac-
tions Of others may bring us, can.
not foretell. You may count upon
my heart and resolution to keep you
out Of the war, but you must be