New-York tribune., 1917-04-29
Roosevelt, in Chicago, Urges
West to Farm and Arm

bill to appropriate $1,000, 100000 as
representing part Of our contribution
70 tho great war. This is fine; but
only on condition that We also put our
men into the lighting line. Half Of
this great sum is TO he TO the Allies;
that is. il IS TO be spent by them IN
getting their men up against the Ger
man ard Austrian and Turkish shells
and bullets. Now. we Americans. have
always prided ourselves on being able
TO DO our own fighting. II is right 90
help others TO fight in the common
cause for which We arc engaged. But
il is even more necessary that We
should fight ourselves.
at would be an evil thing. lasting
calamity TO this country, II the war
ended and found US merely preparing
an army in safety at home. without
having sent a man 70 the firing line.
merely having paid some billions OF
dollars 10 other people 50 that with the
bodies Of their sons and brothers they
might keep us in safety.
~ ask that VIC send lighting force
over 10 the fghting line at the earliest
possible moment. and ! ask IL IN the
name Of our children and our children $
children. so that they may hold their
heads high over the memory Of what
this nation did in the worlds great
crisis. ask IL for reasons OF national
morality no less than for our material
sclf-iuterest. I ask il for the sake OF
our sclf-respect, our self-csteem.
"Our children. will have 10 read the
history Of what We have done during
this war. Let US make the chapter
that vet remains to be written one
that our children shall read with pride.
And they will read it only with feel
ing of self-abasement unless thew read
that in the times that tried men $ sous
VIC have shown Valor and endurance
and proud indifference to life when the
honor of the flag and the welfare oi
mankind were at stake.
LET Us Make II Real War"
AT the earliest possible moment SEND
and expedtionary force abroad: snow
our German foes and our Allied frlends
that we are in this war in deadly
earnest: that we have put the flag or
the firing line, and that we shall stead
ily increase the force behind that fiae
10 any limit necessary in order to brins
the peace of victory in this great con
j test for democracy, for civilization anC
( for the rights of free peoples.
Now that VIC are at war, let us make
/ il real war. not a make-belleve war
/ not a war Of limited liability. We
, have walked into the ring, and now We
must fight. No fight ever was won ye'
/ except by hitting. We have gone intC
| the fight. we have determined to hlt
and we must not hit soft.
we owe our safety az this moment
+ 70 the British fleet and the French anC
british armies. !, for one, am not con
tent 10 rest under that kind Of obllga
ton. and | do not believe that my feI
low countrymen are content TO rest un
der il. | wish 10 see us owe our safety
to our own strength and our own cour
age. and to the respect we inspire IL
/ our foe.
I'VE shall inspire no respect il w
merely try to parry that foes blows
and not TO return them. The only way
in which we can return them IS by I'M
mcdiatelt sending an eXpediuonar!
force to fight in Europe. It would b'
a scandal and a shame if the war cnde'
now with our part in It limited 20 hay
ing furnished dollars behind the shie!t
of other mems bodies. We are in The
war. Let US fight il through ourselves
with our own strength and courage. t'
a triumphant conclusion.
An Appeal to the West
"This is the appeal make especially
| TO the men and women OF the West.
do not merely ask you to go to the
| front YOU men Of the West. or TO cheel
your men when they 60, you women
I also ask YOU to see that | am giver
the high privilege Of making my words
good by my deeds and going TO th'
front with YOU. have asked leave Il
be allowed 10 raise division TO taxi
to the front in the first eXpeditlonary
force. under the commander of tha
force: a division which, after two OF
three months preliminary training
here. can be taken for intensive train
ing to France. and then put into th'
trenches at the earliest possible mo
ment that the Allied generals deem ]
ct 10 render service. ] ask that b'
allowed to Join with others who fee
as ! do in making good the President!
message.
81 ask that and those dearest to M
and closest TO me by blood shall bt
given the chance TO prove the truth Of
cur endeavor. and be sent at the ear
/ lest possible moment under the fa(
/ TO the firing line.
81 do not ask for men in the classes
which would be taken under the Admin
istration's plan for an army raised
under the obligatory system. | ask fol
men who would not otherwise be al
lowed to go. The force ! propose tc
raise would represent en- absolute sd
dition to the nations military strength
an addition which could be used a.
once, which would serve TO put the fai
and keep the flag on the firing line dur
ing the time that the great army wa
/ itself being raised, and while our fst
would otherwise not be on the frint
/ line. The favor / ask is the gres
favor of being allowed to render ser
! vice which believe that my record en-
/ titles me to say that am able to ren
/ der"