New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-26
A M0MENTOUS SPEECH
The President Praised for His BoIds.,.
and DistinctiveIy American PrinciuIe.
70 the Editor Of The Tribune.

10 the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Whatever else may be though. =,
President Wilson's momentous speech 20 n.
Senate one can hardly escape the uewpo;r,
that it was magnificent in its boldness s,a
distinctly American in It's application =,
American principles to the world. To obt..
national security through international
authority is an untried step and nav ses-
almost himerical-yisionary
/ But the proposed United States of Amer.
lea was similarly characterized at its inces.
ton, and TIE result, in spite of many inner.
| fections, errors, backslidings, internal strif.
and foreign envy, is the greatest, wises,. mos,
humane and unselfsh nation upon which N,
sun ever shone. Let those who tween with
shame at their nationality--even those sb.
can think of their citizenship without a thrill
of pride-overhaul their mental vision. l.,
them look from coast to coast, from N.
northern border to the southern, and con.
slider the millions of happy homes where ju,.
tice, peace, decent living and individual lib.
erty dwell as never before in the history o,
the world
Anglo-Saxon homes? No. Teuton homes,
No! Latin, Russian, Scandinavian homes.
No! American homes. Homes of those whose
ancestors from all quarters Of the globe, for.
getting their racial antipathes, throwing Of
their ignorance, prejudices and servility as
cloak have united to form that new and dis.
tinctive race-Americsns.
This is the nation that has metamorphosea
timid, poverty stricken wretches Of the East
into proud, free citizens Of the West; that has
proved there is a brotherhood Of man ire.
spectve of geographical origin. This Is the
nation for which some of its citizens feel
forced to "veep with shame" This is the
chmers, the silly impracticable vision Of
century and half ago-one hundred million
strong
When the international problem is taken
up with the same spirit, courage and intelli.
gcnce that animated our forebears
of our or dozen generations-it will Be
solved. Whether this spirit exists in suf.
cient strength abroad at the present time
remains to be seen, but its desirablity cannot
be questioned by US, nor does it seem posi-.
bic to question the fundamental principles
laid down by our President as being neces.
sary to a stable agreement.
We of America are suffering by reason o,
present conditions. Our rights are being
trampled upon in the violence of the struggle;
our trade is curbed and its future menaced;
the necessaries of life soar higher and
higher; our plans for national defence ss
throttled, and even our present peace threat.
ened by a war in which we have no political
interest, and the high sounding reasons given
for the continuance Of which md our in.
telligence coldly skeptical.
1t is said to be within the power Of our
nation, by embargo or otherwise, to end these
conditions and if, refusing a reasonable op-
portunity to conclude peace, either or all Of
the combatants decided obstinately to hgh.
on, it certainly is the duty Of our govern.
ment, in justice to ourselves, to use every
means in its power-even 10 coercon-la
order that our own rights be not further
abridged.
This duty our President seems alive TO, ard
in following it in whatever way his superior
knowledge Of conditions seems TO dictate as
best, we can rest assured Of his intelligent
patriotism, and he, in turn, can rest assured
Of the hearty, intelligent support Of the
American nation. w. V.P.
Providence, R. l., Jan. "a. 1917.