New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-04

ton will meet next- June the Presi-
dent faced $4,000 people for an uphli
fight Clarence Howard. president OF
the business Mems League, who III
troducod him. also is head of the Com
monwcnlth steel Company. which re-
fused S2.0OO.OOO war order recently
because il does not believe in war. hi.
introduction dwclt on the value oi
peace, on spiritual preparedness ana
on the brotherhood Of man.
The President started with recital
Of his efforts for peace and won n niue
applause. More applause came when
he declared that no man could force
America into war. and that NO man
need preach peace amongst us. bu,
when he said that America wouli
plunge into any struggle that involved
the national honor thcro were only
few scattering handclaps.
Submarine Might Start War
The President declared that subma-
rlne commanders abroad had instruc-
tions which for the most part conform
with international law, but that the
ret Of ono commander might set the
world nfre, including America.
Upon the ocean," he said. there
are hundreds Of cargoes of cotton,
grain and all the bountiful supple
America is sending out to the world
and any one of those oargoes, any one
of those ships, may DO the point OF
contact that viii bring America into
the war"
For the first time during the tour
the President told how one set OF
belligercnts was cut of from the world.
lie sail that this kept the United States
from helping them as IL would like. He
made the statement in trying to show
that the United States was really neu-
trail.
Then no launched into a defence OF
his attitude toward the European
countries. and spoke TO silent and
There is no dispute about the
rights Of nations under the under
standings of international law" he
pleaded. America has drawn no fine
points; America has raised no new
issue. Therefore, America is not self
sh I'm claiming her rights
"I am ready TO make every patient
allowance for men caught IN the storm
of national struggle he declared a
little later ~ am ready 10 yield
everything but the final. absolute, es-
sential right" And again there was
not q rustic from the audience.
But when he declared HE neutrality
the Germans responded
u have pledged myself % think as
far as possible from The point of view
Of the other side rs well as from the
point of view Of America" he declared.
and applause began. u want the rec
ord % IN 81, the conduct Of this Ad-
minlsration TO be o record OF genuine
neutrality not OF pretended neutral
i.y.' There was louder applause.
you know the circumstances Of the
time he went on You know how
one group OF belligerents is practically
cut OF bv circumstances over which we
have no control from the ordinary
commerce Of the world You lnow
therefore how the spirit Of America
has not been able 20 express itself
adequately in both directions But i
believe that the people o. America are
genuinely neutral Then for the first
time the response Of The audience was
loud and genuine.
Preparedness Wins Crowd.
The real enthusiasm came when nc
began 20 tax on preparedness. Almost
ON INC -l-t sentence ne lnd The
house with him there, ard as BE- pro-
cceded ne was more and more fire.
cuertly interrupted, until he reached
the climax with the chorus Of "Ycscs"
IN response 70 his plea for support
From that point on he held the audi
ence completely.
one more great burst Of APPLAUSE
came when he scoEed az newspaper
opinion.
81 want 10 say 10 you that nothing
encouraged mo more upon this trip
that ! have been making than tn
consciousness that America is awake 20
the facts" he said. 81 90 10; want
TO say ANYTHING disrespcctful about
any newspaper. but II is astonishing
Row ht:le some newspaper editor
know, and would like from some II
them f. candid expression Of the i'm
preston they have got from what has
happened since Left Washington. They
probably will give it their own inter-
probation. but they VIII not and this
ought 90 comfort them II they are
moral men they will not deceive any
body Because. from the time I left
Washington until now have jus. mad
this feeling; the country is az, there
ia not q man who ii not awake; there
is not man who does not realize
what the situation is and wia- we
ought 10 do IN order to meet tho sit