New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-21
Root, Roosevelt, Hughes, Choate,
Declare u. S. Is Now at War
Union League Club Hears Startling Announcements OF
Danger at Hand and Sober Report of Nations
Present Lack of Trained Men for Defence

of the Old World alliance between
Bliffel and Black George. and we have
seen the American paclfist mooching
around and trying to curry favor with
the German militarists. The American
pacifst. the professional paciiist. has
heen the tool and subsidiary ally OF
the pro-Germans of this country.
"Now | want you TO remember that
have no English blood. except a little
Quaker blood, which ! have lived down.
| have German blood in me, and | am
proud of it. But il is an absolutely
unbearable thing TO me TO have my
country indebted TO the British feet
for our safety.
1--WE arc able al this moment 10 have
A paciist and pro-German party here
only because they are under the shield
of the British navy. ] cannot imagine
a more ignoble position. more dis
honorable position, than the position of
Americans who continue to exist in
peace and while existing in peace con-
tinually assail the Allies, continually
speak of the mote in their eyes, oblivi-
Gus 10 the beam in the German eye, and
do it all in safety only because the
feet of the power they assail stands be-
tween them and danger.
1--WE are terribly unprcpared, but we
must prepare at once great army of
a couple of million men, so that il
the war lasts for a year we will be
able TO be the decisive and controlling
factor in il. But do not wait for that
great army. We can perfectly well
send an expedtionary force to fight in
the trenches or fight in the Balkan pc
ninsula. or wherever it is desired. We
can get that expeditionary force into
the trenches within four or five months,
and it will mean everything for the
morale of France. OF Belgium. OF the
Allies generally, 10 have an American
force. under the American flag, train
ing in France and moving forward to
take its place beside the other armies
which are fighting our battles at this
moment.
Now at War. Says Hughes
Let us not delude ourselves" said
Charles f. Hughes. Germany is now
making war upon the United States,
making war with a ruthless barbarity.
1t is not question of legalistic con-
ception. There is now a state of war,
and the United States, the people OF
the United States. should recognize that
fact. Our citizens have been murdered
are being murdered. Our ships are
being sunk. Our commerce is existing
on leave Of a nation or government.
whose hostile intent is manifest.
There must be prompt defence. ade-
ouate defence. These attacks, these Il
legal assaults, should be repealed.
There is something here far more i'm
portant than the mere physical value OF
ships. something more important than
commerce. something more important
even than the lives of particular men
who arc exposed to these brutal on
slaughts.
There is a principle involved IN
the attacks that have been made, and
the success of that principle. II that
principle is successfully maintained as
il is now sought TO be maintained, the
question is not simply OF commercial
rights. regard these attacks, the
method of their conduct, as an on
slaught on liberty and on civilization
itself. Ii is time that the American
people understood it. All organizations
exercising public influence should re-
cord their convictions"
Joseph II. Choate was no less GER
tain than the other speakers that his
country was in a state of war. The
he said, but the rest of the country,
even the careless throng that went
about their daily tasks and nightly
avocations in New York. was in.
"lf the words that | shall utter to
you tonight shall be my last" said
Mr.. Choate, 81 shall feel that ] have
breathed them in the service Of my
country.
81 understand from the resolutions
that we are already engaged in state
of war. don't care whether you call
it war. or, as Lord Salisbury once
called it, "a sort of war or a state Of
war. or armed neutrality, when it takes
the shape of allowing Germany to sink
our ships and murder our citizens. 1t
does not matter what you cab-it, it IL
time for the people of the United
States to rise in arms and assert their
rights" .,
The note Of warning was sounded
in a report submitted TO the club by
a special committee which for some
time has been investigating the status
of the countrys defensive ability.
II read in part:
"If we should find ourselves at war
with any first class power. We have no
coast defences which could prevent the
landing Of troops on our shores, ana
we have no defence which would pre-
vent the complete and immediate capt
ure OF our coast cities and ammunl-
ton factories in the coast states OF
New Jersey and Connecticut, as wen
as every one of our navy yards.
"The facility with which a hostile
mower could land troops on our shores
has been repeatedly and authoritatlveiy
stated. The Committee on National
Defence, in the report already referred
10. have dealt with this matter and
emphasized the fact that Won bdels,
helm. an officer Of the German General
Staff, as far back as 1901, published
a book detailing the weakness OF our
defence and relating that the Herman
feet had every prospect of defeating
the forces Of the United States and
thereby compelling the Federal gov
eminent to treat for peace.
"If We 20 to war with Germany our
only real protection will be the ships
of the British and French navies, ana
our own navy, which Is undermanned'
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