New-York tribune., 1917-07-15

il is not perfectly right II can be made
right. but the main thing is TO make
start.
when somebody is rushing at me
with both fists extended | have not got
time 10 criticise the attitude Of my own
fists or person. The thing Is TO meet
il and to meet il as well as | can ana
as quickly as can, and as forclbly as
can.
This Is the Armageddon"
"The country is not unaware OF what
we have been doing and the country is
also not unaware Of what we have not
been doing. when we might have been
doing something. This is the Armaged-
don, the war Of all the nations OF al!
the world and everybody at everybody's
throat, and we have spent three months
in merely initiating the legislation that
is TO start off the carrying on Of this
war. We have spent three months in
passing the legislation necessary TO
mobilize men, money and resources, so
that we might prove in the beginning
after the legislation a factor in this
struggle. Men may cry peace, as the
old Revolutionary hero said: Peace,
peace. but there is no peace
"For six months before we went into
this struggle there was no peace, and
every man with long vision IN HIM
knew il. The only mistake that we
have made is that we did not get into 1t
in time. Liberty and democracy all over
the world may be deprived Of a place
under the sun as the ultimate result OF
this struggle because we did not have a
vision long enough and did not get into /
il in time.
Gentlemen tell me that certain !
things are unconstitutional because
they would be unconstitutional in peace
time. Other extremists say that we
have certain war powers. Nelther Is
true. The Constitution stands un-
changed, but in its applicability 70
changes il applies to them according 70
the condition in which the things are
at the time of the application. i
There are hundreds Of things that
are thoroughly constitutional in time OF
war in carrying out the behest OF the
Constitution TO support an army ana
navy and TO carry on war, which would
be not only absurd but really uncon-
stitutional in times Of peace, for the
simple reason that in times Of war the
exercise of the power is proper and
necessary in order TO accomplish con-
stitutional end, which is TO support
armies and navies and carry on the war.
Most Gigantic Struggle in L. S.
Summon up your courage. Stifen
your sinews. Realize that this war IS
the most gigantic struggle that TINS
country was ever engaged in, not even
excepting the revolution, because II we
had failed in that we would still have
been colonies of that country whlcn,
whatever the objections TO II might
have been or may be, was and is tne
freest country in the world. We would
have been in no worse condition to-day
than Canada is.
"This struggle is even more serious
than was the Civil War, because even
had the South been victorious there
would have been two free countries
upon this hemisphere with miserable
custom houses between US and the
keeping up of armies out Of Suspicion
for one another; but still there would
have been two free countries.
"You lose this fight and the road IS
made clear from Berlin 10 Bagdad;
from Belgrade upon the Danube down
to Salonica and across to ASIA ana
across to Asia Minor and under the
government Of the Hohenzollerns ana
the Hapsburgs and Junkerdom. one
of two things is going TO happen. ou
can either bid eternal farewell 70
democracy on this earth or else you
can make out Of America as Europe mas
made out Of herself an armed camp,
sitting and watching all the time,
panther in his lair. ready TO spring
n
"What is the use of fooling with any
Of these ifs' and butts and 'nothwith-
standings and 'moreovers' and where
ases'? Get the substance Of what you
want in the grand outline and put IT
through. Meet the enemy as the enemy
meets US, with every man and every re,
source and every form of national
virility and fidelity
Must See II Through
"War is war, and the man who at
tennis TO carry on war upon the same
principles that would guide him IN
peace times in ordinary legislation Is
either lacking in acuteness OF vision or
he is lacking in loyalty TO the country
in behalf Of which he wants the war TO
be carried on. Hew TO the line, let the
chips fy as they may.
"See this thing through first; see u
through. but not TO peace only, which
might be merely an armistice and a
continuation Of this eternal curse OF
national armed camps all over the
world, Of which Great Britain and we,
the two branches Of the Englishspeak-
| ing race, must after this war become a
party. Hitherto we have avoided it
( not to a mere peace which may be a
sound and a word and q name. but
/ lust and lasting peace, bottomed upon
/ the rights Of nationalities, bottomed
upon the rights Of those who speak the
/ same language, not to be repressed and
/ oppressed by others, and bottomed,
above all. upon justice and righteous
/ ness and the obligation of international
compact"
/ NJ ~ u M