New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-23

Nearly one-third more persons than
the great building could seat had
crowded into Madison Square Garden
las, night before the patriotic rally
began.
They stood wherever they could ind
foot room. Many sat on The moor.
Women in evening gowns. who mad
como in limousines, found that the vast
,brong had so disorganized the seating
arrangements that seats they had
bought were not to be found, or, II
thew we're. we're occupied by others VINO
showed stubs in support OF their
claim. without a murmur those WON
On Joined the standees or, Obvious 70
nossible ruin of their dresses, sat TURK
fashion on the floor. Some spread
newspapers before seating themselves
but others Topped down regardless. ,
The shrill Of fife and rat-tat-tat OF
drum brought them TO their feet be
fore the speaking had commenced ~
was the arrival Of the Sons OF tne
American Revolution. They marcneo IN
columns TO seats that had been reserved
for them. At their head was the mar
tial trio, "The Spirit Of TO- Members
Of the Junior Naval Reserve, boys IN
white duck. also marched to their sec
ton and were received with cheers
Thrilled by Patriotic Airs
America" pixie" Columbia, the
coro ~ the Ocean" and "The Star
Snancled Banner" gave successive rellet
neriods to cramped legs, and by the
time the speaking started the audience
was on edge. Elihu Root was the hrst
speaker. He said
owe come not to find fault or 10
criticise. We come TO turn our faces
toward the government Of our cholce'
the government, the President and the
Congress. on whom weigh the terrible
burdens of decision and action IN the
issue of peace or war and IN the terri
bic pursuit of that freedom which can
be maintained, it seems now, only by
war. In this government by the peo-
pie it must be the people themselves
who act through the President and the
Congress.
"0ur country has been ordered
ordered 10 leave the seas; ordered off
the seas that are ours equally with all
the other nations of the earth; ordered
by the autocratic Germany 70 leave
those seas that our fathers crossed IN
their frail barks in this search OF free
dom that they set up on this CONT
nent; ordered to leave those seas that
the commerce Of America has whitened
with its sails for more than century,
and our country has refused to OBEY
the order.
ave have been attacked with arms
for refusing; our ships have been sunk;
our people have been murdered; our
men. women. our children have been
sent TO their death by shot and shell
and torpedo sped from German men-of-
war because we refused TO obey the
order Of Germany.
Defence or Submission?
"And what we are here TO speak to
our government about is the question
not a question with us--but the question
whether we shall meet that attack by
manly and brave defence, or by suomls-
sion.
"All history teaches us that the rich
and defenseless people, the people VINO
are too luxurious, too fond OF tnelr
comfort. their prosperity, their wealth.
their ease. 10 make sacrifice for their
liberty. surely fall prey TO the ag-
gressor.
$50 we will fall if our luxury our
wealth, our ease. our unwillingness Tor
sacrifice. make Us unable to defend our
independence and our liberty.
ave did think a few years ago that
the reign Of law had come into the
world; we did think that the faith OF
treaties was q protection, but we have
had a sad awakening. Neither the
rules Of law nor the faith of treaties
nor the instincts Of humanity, nor the
teachings Of civilization, nor the re-
auirements of religion, stand in the
way of those powers that re now
seeking in the world. with fire and
sword, what they call the liberty OF
national evolution. the liberty to send
their increasing population out and
seize the territory and subjugate the
inhabitants Of other lands.
"No more the protection Of treaty
or Of law girds the people Of America