The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-03-07
PRES. WILSON'S
INAUGURAL TALK
In Making Inaugural Address for Sec
ond Time President Sounds Sol
emn Warning to Country.
WAR BROUGHT ADDED DUTIES
Nation Drawn Into Current by Euro
pean Affairs-Firm' Stand for
Armed Neutrality Taken.

| WASHINGTON, D. c., March e.
President Wilson's inaugural address
was as follows:
"My fellow citizens:
The four years which have elapsed
since last I stood in this place have
been crowded with counsel and action
of the most vital interest and con-
sequence. Perhaps no equal period in
our history has been so fruitful in
important reforms in our economic
and industrial life or so full of signt-
ficant changes in the spirit and pur-
pose of our political action. We have
sought, very thoughtfully to set our
house in order, correct the prosser err
rors and abuses of our industrial life.
liberate and quicken the, processes OF
! our national genius and energy and,
lift our politics to a broader view OF
the peoples essential interests. IL
is record of singular variety and sim
gular distinction. But ! shall not at
tempt to review It, 1t speaks for itself
and will be of increasing influence as
the years go by. This is not the time
for retrospect. 1t Is time, rather, to
speak our thoughts and purposes con.
cerning the present and the immediate
future.
Altho we have centered counsel and
action with such unusual concentra-
ton and success upon the great prob,S
lens of domestic legislation to which
we addressed ourselves four years
ago, other matters have more and
more forced themselves upon our ut.
tention, matters lying outside our own
life as nation and over which we had
no control, hut which, despite our wish
to keep free of them, have drawn us
, more and more irresistibly into their
, own current and influence. NJ
"It has been impossible to avoid
, them. They have affected the life
r of the whole world. They have shak-
en- men everywhere with passion
, and an apprehension they never knew
y before.
No Feeling Of Malice.
! 1t has been hard to preserve calm
y y counsel while the thought Of our own
= people swayea this Wy aHa thAs -.
g aass
Z posite. and Gcosmopolitan people Ne
! 4 are Of the 4 blood OF an nations that
7 are at war. The currents OF our
! thoughts as well as the currents OF
, our trade run quick at all seasons
back and forth between us and them.
Z The war Inevitably set its mark from
the first alike upon our minds, our
industries, our commerce, our politics
: and our social action. To be indiner-
; ent to it or independent of 1t was out
!, of the question.
"And yet, all the while we have been
conscious that we were not part of Il,
We were conscious, despite many divA
sions, we have drawn closer together,
. We have been deeply wronged upon
, the seas but we have not wished to
wrong or injure in return; have re-
tanned thruOut the consciousness OF
: standing in some sort apart, intent
upon an interest that transcribed the
immediate issues of the war itself. AS
some of the injuries done US have be-
come intolerable we have still been
, clear that We wished nothing for our
selves, that we were not ready to de-
mand for all Inankind-fair dealing,
, justice, the freedom to live and be at
t ease against organized wrong.
/ "It is in this spirit and with this
: thot that We have grown more and
| | more aware, more and more certain
that the part we wished to play was
the part of those who mean to vindi-
J. cate and fortify peace. We have
been obliged to arm ourselves to make
l good our claim to a certain minimum
: of right and of freedom of action. We
stand firm in armed neutrality since
it seems that in no other way we can
demonstrate what it Is.
(Continued on Page Three) ss