The Washington herald., 1916-05-31

wants NO more
America does not want any additional
TERRITORY. She does not want any sell
FISH advantage over any other nation
in the world, but she does wish every
nation in the world to understand what
she stands for and to respect what she
stands for.
Il have said that ! believed that the
people of the United States were ready
to become partners in any alliance of
the nations that would guarantee public
right above selfish aggression. Some OF
the public prints have reminded me, as
.if | needed to be reminded, OF what
Cen WASHINGTON warned US against He
warned us against ent7nsllnE alliances.
shall never myself consent to an en-
tangling alliance: but l would gladly as
sent to a disentangling alliance an al
lance which would disentangle the peo-
pIes Of the world from these COM
binations in which they seek their own
separate and private interests. and unite
the people OF the world to preserve the
peace of the world, upon basis OF COM
mon right and justice.
1--WE have been engaged recently. in dis
cussing the processes of preparedness.
1t is possible for the United States to
get ready only If the men of suitable
age and strength will volunteer to get
SA'~
United States Chamber of Commerce re-
port the other evening on referendum
to 750 Of the chambers of commerce OF
the United States upon the question OF
preparedness, and he reported that 9 per
cent of them had voted in favor of pre-
paredneSs.
To Apply Acid Test.
Very well now. We are going to ap-
IL 81, 81 70 gentlemen and
the acid test is this: Will they give the
Young men in their employment freedom
to volunteer for this thing? 1 wish the
referendum had included that, because
that is of the essence of the matter 1t
IL all very well to say that somebody
else must prepare, but are the business
men of this country ready themselves tc
lend a hand and sacrifice an interest In
order that we may get ready? We shall
have an answer to that question in the
next few months. A bill is lying upon
NV table now ready to be signed which
bristles all over with that Interrogation
point, and I want all the business men
of the country to see that Interrogation
point staring them in the face.
Il have heard a great many people
talk about universal training-universal
voluntary training, with all my heart il
you wish it. but America does not wish
anything Dut Jne COnlpulslOH OIL the spur IL
of America I for my part, do not enter
tain any serious doubt Of the answer
to these questions, because l suppose
there is no place in the world where the
compulsion of public opinion is more
imperative than 1t is in the United States.
You know yourself how you behave when
you think nobody is watching: And now
all the people of the United States are
watching each other. There never was
such a blazing spotlight upon the con-
duct and principles of every American as
each one of US now walks and blinks in
II.
And as this spotlight sweeps its relent-
less rays across every square mile of the
territory of the United States, I know
a great many men, even when they do
not want to, are going to stand up and
say, Here Because America is reused,
reused to a self-consciousness and a ma
tional self-consciousness such as she has
not had In a generation. And this spirit
is going out, conquering and to conquer
Until. 1t @aX be ia The pxoyidsnsA .Qf Gpfs