The Washington herald., 1917-05-13
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

A0OA 4 A1As O2NAe
with frse-hand oratory a revolving,
shocking picture of Americas great
war-sacrifce that is to come.
America worlds Creditor.
America, today, he said, stood creditor
to half the world and when the time
comes to thrash out the peace terms
over the council table. Americas bill
lions loaned to the allies win give the
republic OF the west a mighty voice In
enforcing Just peace. "for." he con-
tinued, "a peace that is not just will not
last"
Mr.. Taft came TO Washington to pre-
side at the dedication Of the American
Red Cross Building, yesterday afternoon.
By evening. Yale alumni In Washington
had found him and carried him on to the
University Club. where there was a small
dinner and the festivities opened in the
lecture room of the club around o'clock.
Claude N. Bennett, chairman of the en-
tertainment committee OF the club, stood
at the entrance of the lecture room and
as Taft stepped from the elevator, Ben
nett raised his hand and the assemblage
hit up the strains OF "He's a Jolly Good
Fellow" The Yale cheers that followed
were deafenlng.
Not F1fty-seVenth President.
Myron NJ Parker. who presided, read a
list Of the of1ces Taft has held in his
lifetime. but he got things mixed and
called him the "fifty-seventh President
Of the United States'-an ONCE, Taft
later declared, that we are handling
around very scantily as yet"
Scattered about the room were Chief
Justice White, Of the United States Su-
preme Court; Ambassador Naon, Of Ar
gentina; John W. Davis, Solicitor Cen
eral Of the United States; Associate Jus
tice Holmes, of the Supreme Court; Henry
5 Graves, United States Forester; Secre-
tary of Agriculture, Houston, Senator
Brandegee and others.
Taft started his speech in a mood that
gained him cheer after cheer He was
particularly happy, but he soon turned
serious.
College Men Inspiring.
THE movement Of college men in this
war Is inspiring" he said, ''They are
going into this war not in a spirit OF ad
venture, but because they believe they
have had advantages which makes 1t
necessary for them to set an example.
In the civil war, the American people
showed the world that they possessed
that moral fiber which entitled them to
be called a world power, but OF late
years. a doubt as arisen as to whether
that moral iber Is intact. There is no
reason, however. to doubt this. for out
ward appearances are deceptive. France
is the most notable example of falsity
of this outward seeming.
America faces a great test. We may
have to make sacrifices that will equal
the sacrifices that France and England
have had TO make. Our enemy, II seems,
has not lost his power. and being in this
war, We have got to win. II means not
only food and treasure, but men and the
lives of men. We might as well get that
under our skin.
Dark Prospect in Russia.
The trouble with we Americans is our
informal optimism We believe too much
in the theory that God looks after chill
dren, drunkards and the United States.
Russia IL in sore straits, the submarine
menace has not been met and the crush
ing drives OF the allies on the west front
move the German lines but very slowly.
"Russia"-here Taft paused a moment
setting up little republics all over the
country. Every little municipality wants
to be a government. The prospects OF
anarchy are not too remote to be q pos
sibiity. And II Germany breaks through
into Russia, the Germans can rehabilitate
themselves IN the matter of food and
swing thousands of men to the west
front line"
Germany Peace Menace.
Mr.. Taft then pointed out that America
had no cause to be running up and down
the earth Strengthening out governments,
but he said in the case Of Germany, a
great menace to the peace Of the world
must be removed.
I'm other words,' he said, we're now
engaged in a league to enforce the peace
OF the world. 1t hasn't been primarily
formed with that purpose in view. but
that is what 1t has come to. have been
more or less identified with that move
ment myself, though Congress has
been afraid OF entangling alliances.
'Washington's advice about entangllng
alliances is about as applicable to the
situation as last years bird nest. At
the time it was given, It was sound ad-
vice for he wanted America to go along
and work out its destiny without inter-
ference from abroad. But now we've
reached our growth. We're closer to
Europe-five times closer-and our coast
States and our island possessions make
US an Asiatic power. The canal makes
US a force in South America and when
one looks about the world. we find that
like the Connecticut farmer, we've got
out a lot of hay in the face of an inter-
national storm.
In an Alliance Now.
so whether Congress fears an en-
| tangling alliance or not, we're in one
and We ought to be, because we ought to
share with the rest Of the world the
! responsibility for the peace of the world.
The discussion of entangling alliances
is oId-fashioned. The very stars in their
courses are fighting for a lea ae1Ia IN an